Survival of the Fittest
by Gemini97
Summary: When Danny and Vlad are fighting in the Ghost Zone, they accidentally go through a portal to the human world... one that leads to the middle of nowhere. Vlad and Danny father-son bonding-ish type! Ghost OC. Takes place after Eye for an Eye. Prequel to Playing With Fire
1. Chapter 1

Survival of the Fittest

By: Gemini97

**Hi everyone!**

**Okay, guys, this is my first ever fanfiction. Ever. So, please don't criticize me too much, okay? **

Fred: Yeah, look at the poor girl, shaking in her boots! * smiles fondly *

George: She's got a sensitive heart, so take it easy on her * laughs mockingly *

* Fred joins in *

**Come on, guys! Don't make fun of me or else I'll tell Ginny to tell your _mother!_**

Fred: Do you think she's bluffing? Please tell me she was bluffing, Georgie!

George: * looks nervously at Gemini's angry face * I don't think she is, Fred…

* Silence *

Good, and now I present to you the first chappie of SotF! Just to let you know, this story takes place AFTER Eye for an Eye. Hope I see you at the bottom! Oh, and guys, * peers over at Fred and George * do you have anything else to say before we begin? You won't be able to until the end of the chapter…

George: Yeah. We do. Fred, if you will?

Fred: I SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I AM UP TO NO GOOD!

* Fred and George Disapparate *

**Oh, dear…. I wonder what they're up to this time…. Hopefully not at my school putting a Dungbomb in my locker…. Anyway, (sorry for getting sidetracked) _here _is the first chapter for SotF!**

**EDIT-4-4-12: Just slightly tweaked this chapter to get rid of all the mixed dialogue! It's nothing really on the actual writing, but this should make it easier to read. So, don't worry about it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DP, sadly. Credit to HP for lending Fred and George and their lovely mocking statements!**

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><p><em>When Danny and Vlad are battling in the Ghost Zone, they accidentally go through a portal to the human world… in the middle of nowhere. They're at each other's throats, but in order to get back to Amity Park, the two archenemies must put aside their differences and work together. <em>

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"And… _there._" Danny Fenton said as he added the finishing touches to his model of the solar system. It had taken him _hours _and _hours _of painting intricate details on each of the little Styrofoam planets to almost perfection. _And _not to mention he put his blood and sweat into this project; astronomy _was_, after all, his favorite and best subject.

Sighing with relief, he turned the on switch on and watched, feeling accomplished, as the planets started to turn around the sun, following their orbits.

Feeling satisfied, Danny turned off the model and, picking it up carefully, set it into a box, along with his report on it.

As soon as he did so, however, a thin wisp of blue mist escaped Danny's mouth. The box levitated into the air, seemingly of its own accord, but then a pudgy blue-skinned ghost in overalls appeared.

"Oh, please…" Danny said before the Box Ghost could say anything, sighing exasperatedly, "Come on, I don't have time for this!"

"BEWARE! I AM THE BOX GHOST! AND I SHALL TAKE THIS BOX AND—"

Danny morphed into his alter-ego self and flew after him before he could finish declaring his plans to the world (which annoyingly enough made him sound like Technus!)

The Box Ghost went intangible and flew out of Fenton Works, box in hand. Danny was distraught; if that lame ghost ruined his project, he would send him within an inch of his afterlife! He needed to get it back, considering it was due the following day!

The chase went on for only a matter of moments before the Box Ghost flew down an alley. Danny turned human just around the corner and walked leisurely down the alley, uncapping the Fenton thermos as he saw the Box Ghost hovering near the back of the alley. The Box Ghost was sucked into the thermos without anything more than a "BEWARE!" Danny caught the box as it started to fall, and as soon as he saw that his solar system was still intact, Danny turned towards home, a confident smile plastered across his face, his eyes closed. However, his smile faded into a frown when he opened his eyes, as he saw none other than the new mayor, Vlad Masters, just outside the alley.

Vlad stood leaning against the brick wall casually, arms folded, smiling smugly down at the teenager. As Danny walked past him, Vlad unfolded his arms, saying, "Hello, Daniel. Long time, no see?"

Danny ignored him, deciding he wasn't in the mood for the billionaire's games. He'd had _quite _enough of them the week previously.

"_Really_, Daniel? Don't you think ignoring me is quite childish? Even for you?" Vlad persisted, following as Danny continued on his way home.

Not even taking a backward glance, he growled, "No, Plasmius. I'm _not _in the mood for your insults _or _banter."

Vlad caught up and began walking beside the younger hybrid, wrapping his arm amiably around his shoulders, "Who said anything about _banter_? Is _that _what you call a greeting?"

Shrugging off the elder halfa's arm, Danny's gaze snapped over to Vlad as he asked abruptly, "Okay, shouldn't you be home with your lonely-guy cat? _Why _are you here and _what _do you want this time?"

Masters chuckled lightly, saying, "Oh, are you _always_ this paranoid? I can't tell whether I should be annoyed or amused! Oh, well, no matter. I was on my way to your house for a visit, anyway. And, no, I don't want anything _new_, I'm afraid."

"Oh, how silly of me. So you still want to kill my dad, marry my mom, and have me as your perfect son/apprentice thing, right? Right—sorry, but that hasn't worked out well in the past and it won't change now _or _anytime soon." Danny said, smirking.

Vlad shrugged, "As I can see—but I'm a patient man, and you and your mother _will _eventually come to see things my way. So… how has school been going for you lately?"

"I thought that you've _seen _my grades?" Danny asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice; Vlad's sudden change in subject bothered him.

"Not lately, no. Answer my question."

Danny rolled his eyes and walked faster. Why did this guy have to be so, _so…?_ He didn't even have a good enough description. _Oh, wait—yes there is…. Fruit loopy?_

Vlad started talking again after seeing Danny wasn't going to respond. "Fine, _don't _answer me," he continued on in a more casual, slightly quieter tone, "I guess I'll figure out when I make my visit to Casper High tomorrow, then…"

"YOU'RE GONNA WHAT TOMORROW?" Danny halted in his tracks.

Vlad burst out laughing, having gotten the reaction he had been hoping for from the young halfa. Danny started walking again; they were just a block from Fenton Works by now. _Only _that _much longer I have to deal with this fruit loop alone…_ Danny thought furiously, wondering why he alwaysended up ticked off every single time he saw Vlad.

Once the older hybrid calmed down, he said, "As mayor, I want to get more involved in the community. I am simply checking up on how efficient your high school is running." Danny sighed from annoyance; couldn't he get at least _one _Plasmius-free day? He had no such luck now that the cheesehead was _mayor. _Danny felt only so sorry for playing that prank on the billionaire, and only felt remorse because the consequences had brought the other half-ghost to Amity Park permanently (as far as he knew), but that was where his regret ran dry. That fruit loop deserved every single one of those pranks! But, then again, dishing out the justice had come with an irritating price.

Danny groaned, this being one of the few times when he actually wished he hadn't sent the Guys in White to demolish the billionaire's mansion.

Vlad's smirk never left his face, even as he and Danny entered the house.

Jazz sat on the couch reading the latest issue of _Genius Magazine_ while Maddie was cooking in the kitchen. She, unfortunately, was using the Ecto-oven. _Nice… Vlad'll get to experience the 'frank' being put into Frankenstein… goody. _Danny thought dryly.

"Hey, Mom. What's on for dinner?" Danny said, asking the question hoping it was almost anything except hotdogs…

"Oh, hi, Danny; I'm making enchiladas today!" Maddie said, her back turned to them.

"Hello, Maddie. How has your day been so far?" Vlad said in his suave voice.

Maddie turned around suddenly to actually take a look at who had been addressing her. "Oh… _hello_, Vlad. I'm doing _just wonderful_, thank you." She said, clearly just as irritated as Danny was, and she was doing a poor job at concealing it.

"Danny, have you seen your father?" she turned and asked to Danny with gritted teeth.

Jack was nowhere to be seen, but judging from the spontaneous **KABOOM!** that came from downstairs, it didn't take a scholar to know that he was most likely down in the lab.

Danny, who had opened his mouth slowly to respond, looked wide-eyed at the door to the lab as it burst open. Billowing green smoke came pouring from the doorway as Jack wobbled into the room, dizzy with a goofy grin on his face. Vlad was biting his lip to keep from grinning or laughing. Sending him a hostile frown, Danny glanced from Vlad to his father.

"Dad? What on Earth was that?" he asked, rolling his eyes as Vlad let out a soft chuckle that only Danny could hear.

Jack, who was just now orienting himself, said, "_That_, m'boy, was the beginnings of a scientific discovery!" He wiped the grime and dust that covered his face, the goofy grin still not fading. "I was just experimenting with some ectoplasm and how it reacts to stuff so I can invent new weapons—oh, hey, V-Man! Didn't see you there!" Jack said, wrapping his arms around the mayor in a hug, nearly crushing the man.

Danny giggled as he heard the older halfa grunt as he tried to wriggle out of his 'old friend's' grasp. "J-Jack, you're c-crushing me!" Vlad gasped.

Jack let go of him, grinning, "Sorry, pal; so, to what do we owe the pleasure, Vladdie?"

"Oh, I simply felt like visiting you and your family today…" Vlad said, straightening out his suit.

"Well, that's great! How's life been treatin' ya?" Jack said, sitting down. Vlad and the rest of the Fentons did likewise.

As Vlad spoke of how busy his mayoral duties kept him, Maddie went off into the kitchen to tend to supper, that being her excuse to get out of the room as quick as possible. Danny zoned out for a while, this conversation boring him nearly half to death.

Danny mentally slapped himself and shook his head slightly; did he _really _just have that pun run through his thoughts?

Vlad stayed over for dinner at the insistence of Jack, while Maddie begrudgingly agreed, only for the sake of Jack. The rest of the evening went by smoothly enough. After dinner, Danny told his parents that he was tired and went up to his room, wanting to get a Vlad-free moment. Jazz eventually went to her room, claiming she needed to study for a test.

The conversation downstairs didn't end until pretty late at night, and around eleven o'clock Vlad said goodbye and left the house.

Danny was far from asleep; as he peered through the blinds on his window and watched the billionaire turn around the corner, hands in his pockets, Danny's eyebrows creased. _That's weird… no ride?_ he thought curiously before shrugging it off. At first the thought crossed his mind that Vlad's house was at least fifteen minutes away by car, which perplexed the teen that he was _walking_. Then again, Plasmius would probably be morphing around the corner and _fly _home.

Danny was certain that Vlad Plasmius was up to something again…. Why _else _would he visit Danny's house for no apparent reason?

As Danny yawned and stretched, he pushed aside the thought. He was too exhausted to worry about it at the time being. For that moment, Danny needed rest.

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><p><strong>If you are here, that means that you were either A) Polite enough to finish this through to the end of the chapter, or B) Actually like it. Thank you either way! !<strong>

**Man, I'm not usually the type to let people see my novels or stories—I care too much what people think. Which sometimes makes me wonder why I made an account here sometimes… I guess that the more I do so, the more I'll be comfortable? **

**Anyway, my muses have come up with a sort of schedule for helping me. For each update, a different pair will assist me. Fred and George offered to help first. **

…

**Is it just me, or does it seem a little quiet? Ah, yes, now I know…. Where _are_ those two hooligans that are supposed to help me? I had to do this WHOLE chapter without their many criticisms; sad face. D: **

* Fred and George Apparate with a crack *

George: Awwww, you missed us? We had a feeling, you see.

Fred: Yes, and we also had a feeling you were done with the chapter and decided to come and say good-bye to the readers.

Ah, yes. What were you two doing, anyway?

George: Nooooooothing * winks at Fred *

**Sure. Anything else you want to tell the audience? * clears throat ***

Fred: * sighs with exasperation * Fine. We are obligated to suggest that you review and tell Miss MPD over here what you thought.

**I'm going to ignore that nickname, Fred. And yes, I would most welcome your thoughts, as long as you aren't harsh, okay? Tu as compris? Alright. I'll try to update as fast as I can, but I'm not making any promises. Any last words, boys?**

Fred and George together:

MISCHIEF MANAGED!

~Gemini97~


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I just want to thank everyone who reviewed and shared their thoughts with me; your support and advice is always appreciated! **

**Anyways, before we start, I'll introduce another couple of my muses: Gollum and Sméagol!**

Gollum: Nassty girl, forcing usss to accompany her like Masster and that _stupid fat hobbit, precious!_

Sméagol: Sméagol is glad to be here! is his friend!

Gollum: You don't _have _any _friends_! _Nobody _likes _you_!

Sméagol: *sniffles* I hates you...

**O.o Oooookay then... Now here is chapter 2!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own DP **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

The next day was practical torture for Danny; true to his word, Vlad had indeed walked in Danny's English class towards the beginning of the day and sat quietly at the back of the room as Mr. Lancer proceeded with the lesson, taking occasional notes on a clipboard, not even making a sound. In fact, if Danny hadn't seen the man walk into the room, he might have not even noticed him, so much was he like a fly on the wall. Even so, Danny shifted uncomfortably in his seat the whole period long—like it wasn't hard _enough_ for him to focus on Shakespeare _without _feeling eyes on the back of his head! To make things worse, the small room was unbelievably stuffy, and there were no windows to crack open. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face every now and again, and Danny wiped his brow frequently throughout the lesson. Danny kept his determined eyes glued resolutely to Mr. Lancer as he gave a long-winded lecture on the main conflicts in _Hamlet_. He clung onto his every word desperately, but to use the common phrase, they went in one ear and out the other. He caught parts of it, like how Hamlet thought he saw his father's ghost and how he had avenged him by killing his Uncle Claudius, but other than that, he heard absolutely nothing.

The minutes ticked by slowly and painfully, until finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang. The students stood up and raced to the door and out of the classroom, eager to get out of the furnace of a classroom. Danny quickly gathered his things and was just about to leave when he was called back by Mr. Lancer.

"Danny, can I have a word with you?" he asked, beckoning him back to his desk.

"Er, yeah. What is it that you want to talk about?" Danny said slowly, approaching the teacher's desk.

"I just wanted to have a chat with you about your grades. You see, Danny, I've noticed that you used to get perfectly fine grades until around the start of the school year. I can't help but wonder what happened for them to drop so drastically?" Mr. Lancer said.

"Um..." Danny said, taking a sideways glance at Vlad, who was packing up his things into his briefcase, seemingly not paying attention, but Danny knew better. "I-I'm sorry, Mr. Lancer... I've just been really busy lately after school and I've had no time to study or anything. I promise I'll make room in my schedule for study time."

"Hmm. Alright, Mr. Fenton, but just so you know, I will expect better from you in the future, because I _know_ you have the potential for it. Okay?" Mr. Lancer said with a stern look in his eyes, but then he smiled slightly.

Danny squirmed a little under his gaze as he said, "Yes, Mr. Lancer. Have a great day." He left the room, instantly feeling the night-and-day difference between the hot temperature of Mr. Lancer's room and the cool hallways. He sighed in relief, but his face blushed a little. Well, that was embarrassing.

After school, he met up with Sam and Tucker and hung out with them at the Nasty Burger for a while. He told them all about how the fruit loop was driving him insane.

"Well, no offense, Danny, but you were _kinda _asking for it when you demolished his mansion, _for no reason_!" Sam said, raising an eyebrow at her friend's extremely distressed expression.

"_How can you side with HIM, Sam?_" Danny hissed, being careful not to attract any attention from any of the people in the surrounding booths.

"Actually, believe it or not, I'm not siding with him. I'm stating the _truth,_ Danny. It's called karma. You. Were. Asking. For. It."

Danny sighed heavily, putting the palm of one of his hands on his forehead. "Ah, you're right. I know it was childish and wrong, especially when he wasn't up to his old tricks... and now I'm paying the consequences." he said.

"It's okay, dude; in my opinion, he had it coming—are you going to finish those fries?" Tucker said, shifting his gaze onto Danny's unfinished meal. Trust Tucker to turn his attention to his voracious appetite. Their conversation started to wander away from the previous subject.

After calling his parents to let them know where he was, Danny went with his two best friends to Sam's house to watch a couple movies and bowl in her family's bowling alley. There he and Tucker stayed until around a quarter 'til ten so they could get home before curfew.

As Danny walked home, he dismally recalled that he had to figure out what Vlad was up to as soon as he got there; his father had invited Vlad over again to check out his various ghost-hunting gadgetry and research. It infuriated him that his dad put his faith and trust into this man; _oh, if only _he knew just exactly what Vlad Masters thought of him! Danny had half the mind to just _tell _Jack the truth—about how he was Danny Phantom and Vlad was Vlad Plasmius; how Vlad hated him for 'ruining' his life and stealing his true love and swore to have his vengeance on him; to _heck_ with his secret! He already knew from the Reality Gauntlet incident that his parents would accept him no matter what; why _should_ he care about keeping it a secret from them any longer? But then again, of course, there was the problem of what Vlad would do if Danny exposed his secret. Danny preferred not to think about it, but he figured it probably wouldn't be very pretty. Ugh! Why did things always have to be so complicated for him? Ha, just his luck...

_Sheesh! I just can't get a break, can I?_ Danny mused as he entered through the door to Fenton Works. With any luck, Danny wouldn't snap and attack Plasmius in front of his family; he knew better than to even _hope_ to not go by this time without a fight at all, he was so uptight. Breathing in and then exhaling slowly, he forced a relaxed expression onto his face before going downstairs into the lab, where he found Maddie, Jazz, Jack, and Vlad.

Danny surveyed the scene before deciding on joining the group. Jack was chattering animatedly to Vlad, showing him the Ghost Gabber. The ghost portal stood open, ectoplasm swirling green in the doorway. Apparently Jack had shown Vlad the genetic lock on the portal.

"...and it translates ghost-talk into words we can understand!" he said.

"_And it translates ghost-talk into words we can understand! Fear me!_" the Ghost Gabber repeated mechanically.

"Mm-hm, very interesting..." Vlad said lightly.

The Ghost Gabber lighted up again, "_Mm-hm, very interesting... Fear me!_"

"Hey, Dad. I'm home!" Danny said, approaching the group. He cringed a little as the Ghost Gabber repeated him, adding a '_Fear me!_' at the end. Danny rolled his eyes.

"Hey son—glad to see you're on time again today."

"_Hey son—glad to see you're on time again today. Fear me!"_

Jazz snatched the Ghost Gabber out of Jack's hands furiously, indignantly growling, "_Give me that!_" She never _did_ like that device very much, frankly. She fumbled for the off switch, but not before the Ghost Gabber chimed in:

"_Give me that! Fear me!"_

Fuming, Jazz shut it off and threw it uncaringly onto one of the lab tables. Casting it one last dirty look, she turned her back to it and seemingly forgot about it.

Jack picked up another machine, not even acknowledging his daughter's distaste for the device. "And _this _is called the Fenton Booooomerang! It locks in on a ghost's ectoplasmic signature and follows it wherever it goes!"

Jack handed it over to Vlad, who pretended to look fascinated as he said in a sincere (though see-through to all but Jack) voice, "Wonderful. I just wanted to thank you, Jack, for allowing me to have a look at your inventions. It's just a shame that you lost the Ecto-suit, eh?"

"Yeah, that was a bummer... But, who knows? Maybe I'll make another." Jack's crestfallen face turned abruptly upward as he stated his last comment. A ringing came from upstairs, signaling that a batch of cookies was ready to come out of the oven. With that thought in mind, Jack turned around and bounded upstairs, calling behind him, "Come on, let's get some snicker-doodles!"

Maddie ran after him, saying loudly, "_Jack, don't hog them all!_"

Jazz sighed and followed, closing the door behind her, apparently forgetting the last two in the lab. Nobody had seemed to notice that the portal was left open. Danny and Vlad stared up the stairs for a moment before their eyes wandered back to each other. Danny's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Okay, you might have my dad fooled into believing that you're here to 'check out his inventions,' but you aren't fooling _me._ What exactly do you think you're doing?" Danny hissed.

Vlad glared at him, saying exasperatedly, "I am so _sick _and tired of you being so suspicious of every move I make, you little rat! Is it _really _that hard for you to believe that I am not up to _anything_?"

"Actually, _yes_. I find it hard to believe because all you've ever done is try to mess up my family and life! I don't believe that you would just come and visit for no reason when you ninety-nine point nine percent of the time have some ulterior motive behind everything you do! Do you think I'm an idiot, Plasmius?" Danny said, glaring daggers up at the man.

"Sometimes I wonder..." Vlad said, a complacent smile now playing on his lips.

"_Do you want to run that by me again?_" Danny asked, his eyes glowing green by this time. Here it came: the bottled anger. All of the frustration pent up in him ever since he and Vlad met, maybe since he first received his powers, was bubbling up. Vlad was shaking the bottle and the pressure inside Danny was increasing. Soon, it would explode and fizz over...

Vlad chuckled sardonically, "You heard me, Daniel. But, since you asked _so _nicely, _I said_ _sometimes I wonder_! _Sometimes I wonder_ if you really _are _just as much of a buffoon as your blessed father! _Sometimes I wonder _why I evenbother with you at _all_!Ah, well, I guess the apple doesn't roll _far _from the large, overbearing, orange jumpsuit-ed tree!"

"THAT'S IT!" Something in Danny snapped as he morphed and lunged at the billionaire.

With a dark glare, Vlad sidestepped Danny's attack and morphed into his ghostly counterpart. He shot a pink ectoblast from his hand, which hit Danny in the torso. He fell onto his back, but his rage was enough for his body to make him leap back up. Immediately after Phantom had gotten to his feet, Plasmius grabbed him by the throat and tossed him across the room; Danny slammed into the wall behind him, his head smashing against it really hard. He slid to the floor, dazed. Moaning slightly, he staggered back to his feet again. Putting a hand to the back of his head, he felt something warm seeping onto his glove. Withdrawing his hand, he noticed a little ectoplasm dripping slowly down it. He quickly wiped it off on his jumpsuit. Apparently he had underestimated his amount of energy greatly. Plasmius folded his arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Daniel, you might as well forget it; you never _were _a match for me and you probably never _will be_—at least, not as long as you keep on refusing my offer!" he said, putting emphasis on the last three words through clenched teeth.

As renewed energy starting to flow through him again, Danny's pale face flushed into a blotchy red.

"REALLY? Is now REALLY the time for this? How many times do I have to say '_no_' before you finally _get it, Fruit Loop_?" Danny snarled, raising his fists. He tackled Vlad, and the two archenemies toppled backwards through the portal behind them. Danny kicked the elder halfa in the stomach and punched him in the face, attacking him relentlessly. He delivered each blow in rapid succession, giving Plasmius no place to come in and retaliate. Plasmius seemed too baffled by Danny's sudden burst of adrenaline to react right away, but finally got over it and dodged the next attack from the younger hybrid. His bewildered expression turning into a scowl, Plasmius started to fight back tenfold. Danny, however, somehow managed to turn intangible or dodge to evade each kick, punch, or ectoblast, even with all of his angry recklessness. Meanwhile, the fight was wandering farther and farther away from the entrance to the Fenton portal and further and further into the Ghost Zone.

Several minutes later the fight wound down, both of the opponents panting for breath. Plasmius dabbed some ectoplasm from his bleeding lower lip while Danny gingerly massaged a sore shoulder. Suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, Vlad began to laugh... incessantly. Danny frowned and lowered his eyelids to half-mast, waiting for the other to stop.

"Are you done?" Danny asked as soon as the laughter died down, irritated at the man. Was this guy crazy or what?

"Congratulations, Daniel...! Hehe... I didn't think you had that in you—will you forgive me for underestimating you?" Vlad said, patting him on the head fondly.

"Oh, of _course_ I forgive you!" Danny yelled sarcastically, slapping away Plasmius' hand from his head.

And just as Danny was cocking his fist to punch Vlad's face, the strangest thing happened... A portal opened a yard away from the pair and a strong gust of wind picked up. Both of them were blown sideways into it, too bewildered to think about what was happening. They both suddenly felt a pain so intense, it was like being electrocuted.

They landed with a thud onto the damp earthy ground on the other side, reverting back to their human halves. Danny stood up, surveying his surroundings.

They seemed to be back in the Real World, though not any place that Danny recognized. It was a mountainous place, covered in forest as far as the eye could see. There wasn't a trace of cloud in the sky, and the sun beat down ruthlessly on Danny's neck. It was so hot in this place, Danny was already starting to sweat.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck as Vlad Masters stood up, desperately trying to wipe the soil off of his suit.

"_Great_. Absolutely _wonderful..._. This was one of my better suits..." he muttered, finally giving up on tidying up his clothing. He looked up, finally realizing that something was fishy about this whole thing.

Finally, he voiced the question that had been burning in Danny's mind:

"W-where are we?"

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><p>Meanwhile, back in the Ghost Zone, a ghostly woman held out a hand and sealed up the portal, locking the way for the two hybrids.<p>

She was a terrifyingly beautiful lady, with long flaming black hair and a tall and slender physique. She had a dark aura about her that clearly said, "Don't mess with me." Her red eyes only added to her intimidating presence.

"Excellent... I wonder which of them will get out alive? If the environment doesn't kill them, theycertainly will! Honestly, those two are probably the most stubborn things to grace the planet! It's weird, isn't it, that two people _so _alike can hate each other with _such _a passion?"

With a small smile curving her lips upward, she blinked and vanished without a trace.

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><p><strong>Bwahahahaha! You'll find out who this mystery ghost is later on in the story!<strong>

**Phew! Now that that's over, have any of you seen the trailer for _The Hobbit?_Talk about EPIC! I really can't wait until it comes out. Two of my muses star in it, haha!**

Gollum: Sssstupid Bagginses, we _hates_ him! He stoles the precious from us, _*gollum, gollum*!_

**Yeah, yeah, I know, Gollum. I hear enough of that from you already, Stinker! There's no need to make the readers listen to it, too! Anyways, review please! Your thoughts are treasured immensely!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okey-dokey, people! I just realized that I have a small plot-hole in chapter 2, when I mentioned that the sun was still in the sky when Danny and Vlad landed on the other side of the portal; I realized that I said before that it was around ten at night after uploading it... oopsy. -.-' Forgive me people! Now my excuse for that is that they're most likely in a different time zone, hehe. I know, it's kind of a lame thing to apologize for, but hey, I'm a perfectionist!**

***ahem* Anyways, I've been writing a lot lately since I'm on Christmas Break right now and I've had more time on my hands. _Thank goodness_ since I absolutely _looooooove _writing for you guys, besides the fact that I'm still getting used to letting people in on my writing (though I think I'm sort of starting to come out of my shell now! :D). I also kind of think I need a pin to puncture my head with, because it's starting to get too inflated from all of your praise! My ego grows a lot whenever I read the reviews, haha!**

**Allow me to introduce yet _another _pair of my muses: Castor and Pollux! Somehow I find that they aren't as annoying as the others, for some reason, though they still drive me insane! All last night they teamed up with my other muses and found a way to keep me from falling asleep: hurling ideas at me for SotF; I spent hours banging my head on the wall saying, "Angst, angst, angst," over and over again!**

Pollux: *gasp* I resent that! Fred and George were the ones who came up with the idea of keeping you awake!

Castor: Though... thanks for the compliment!

**Hmm... figures the Weasley twins were the ones _actually_ behind it... Castor, remind me once this chappie's done to force feed Fred and George some of their Ton-Tongue Toffee… Well, anyhow, at least they all helped give me a few ideas for the plot in the future! Frankly, that's the _only_ thing they can help me with... grrr...**

Castor and Pollux: Hey!

***sigh* Here's chapter three, people... hope to see y'all at the bottom!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom; Butch Hartman does **

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Jazz Fenton heard the commotion coming from down in the lab; she looked nervously at her parents as she heard her younger brother yell furiously at someone before a loud thud reverberated and shook the whole house. She couldn't tell what was being said, but she knew that obviously there was something wrong. Luckily, Jack seemed to be too wrapped up in the refreshments and Maddie seemed to be too busy making another batch of cookies to notice the sounds coming from the basement _or _that two of their party was missing, for that matter; they were oblivious, as usual.

Still, Jazz bit her lip as she heard the tumult; she figured that Vlad had provoked Danny, or vice-versa, but she didn't dare go downstairs to find out. She knew Danny didn't like for her to get involved with his ghost hunting or anything of the sort, and the last thing she wanted was for their parents to follow Jazz down and see the fight. They would flip out and attack _both_ of the half-ghosts. No... she would just keep Jack and Maddie from going downstairs long enough for the two archenemies to settle things out.

When a particularly loud yell from Danny made Jazz cringe, she looked back to look for signs of acknowledgement of the sound from her parents, but they still showed no sign that they had heard the sound. Wow... just how loud did a sound have to be before they actually heard it?

She pushed away her annoyance at her parents and thought calmly, _Well, I guess I should be glad they don't have the keenest senses... Otherwise, they would've known of Danny's secret long before now._

A few moments afterward, the commotion ceased suddenly. This didn't bode well with Jazz. Worry filled her instantly. She excused herself and hurried downstairs.

But the scene she saw pushed her onto the verge of panic; the lab was a complete disaster: beakers were smashed, tables were overturned, and there were dents in the walls where the two enemies were thrust against the walls. That wasn't the thing that worried her, though—Vlad and Danny weren't anywhere to be seen… The ghost portal stood wide open. Jazz closed it quickly—she didn't want any ghosts to sneak in.

She guessed that they had probably phased through the ceiling or something and were battling outside. Sighing, she walked back upstairs, trying her best not to worry. She'd find out soon enough if Danny was coming back or not and decided to go to bed. If he wasn't back by morning, _then _she'd get worried.

* * *

><p>"W-where are we?" Vlad asked, trying to hide the nervousness he felt from the teenager. He could tell that Danny was just as scared as he was because he was on the verge of a panic attack as well. <em>Someone<em> needed to be the calm and reasonable adult here, and Danny didn't seem too keen on playing that role.

"_What did you do?" _Danny yelled, turning towards him.

Vlad frowned indignantly down at the younger halfa, saying, "Oh, because _everything _is _my _fault! Has it occurred to you yet that I am the victim here as well? How am I supposed to know if it isn't _your _fault?"

The setting sun glinted in Danny's angry eyes as he opened his mouth furiously to protest, but Vlad continued.

"How am _I_ supposed to know if this isn't some scheme cooked up by one of your many enemies? Unlike _you, I _don't make enemies everywhere I go!"

Danny couldn't think of anything he could retort to that; after all, he realized that Vlad was right. Instead, he just turned back to see if the portal was still open, but was dismayed when he saw that nothing was there.

"Nice..." he mumbled before turning around to his only companion before inwardly wincing. Out of _all _people to end up stuck with in the middle of nowhere, he got stuck with the crazy Packers fanatic who needed a cat... or a hobby. _Why is it always me?_ Danny whined in his thoughts. What? Did he have Johnny 13's shadow following him? It certainly felt like it at the moment...

Leaning against a tree, Danny suddenly got an idea. Sam and Tucker would probably be right on top of this; they would simply use the Fenton Boomerang and they would be led right to them. A self-satisfied smile spread slowly across his face.

"Why are you looking so confident? If you have any ideas on getting out of this, feel free to share!" Vlad said.

Danny shared his thoughts with him, smiling smugly, "We'll be out of here in no time!"

Vlad stayed silent for a moment or two before biting his lip.

"Er... yeah. There's one problem with that, of course," Vlad pulled the boomerang from inside his suit pocket. "I didn't really get a chance to put it back before you attacked me..."

_WHAT?_ Danny internally screamed, but the only sound that issued from his mouth was a small distressed squeak. He was doomed! He had no idea where he was and his friends had no way of finding him! He had no way of contacting them, either!

After he came out of his panicked thoughts, Danny shook his head and marched in the opposite direction. Like _he _was going to stay _one _more moment with that crazy cheesehead! _The loopy-ness might rub off..._ he reasoned with himself.

"Where exactly do you think you're going?" Vlad asked, grabbing hold of one of Danny's wrists. Growling, Danny tried to turn intangible to escape the man's iron clutches, but he found that he couldn't for some odd reason. He shoved aside his confusion and wrenched his arm away from the billionaire.

"Away from you," he stated matter-of-factly. "_I _for one am _not _going to be spending my time arguing with some crackpot about whose fault this is—_I _am going to find my way back to Amity Park _right _now, _on _my own, _without _your help!"

"_Oh, really?_ _Fine_, you little brat! Go ahead and get lost; see if I care!" Vlad said angrily.

Danny saluted him derisively, smiling as he turned on his heel and started off in the direction he had been heading in.

Vlad gritted his teeth and turned his back on Danny. He felt mixed feelings; he was worried that something would happen to the teenager and it would be partially his fault because he hadn't insisted on staying together—but at the same time, he frankly didn't care... if that made any sense. The child had been nothing but a thorn in his side ever since they met; he'd finally be rid of him if this was the final time they ever saw each other.

But what would _Maddie_ say if she knew that he would be the one responsible for her son's disappearance? With that horrific thought in mind, the half of him that said, "_let Daniel get eaten by a bear or something_," instantly dissipated. He would make the child see reason—by force if necessary—that it would be suicide to split up. He tried to turn into his ghost half, but as the dark rings formed around his torso, he felt intolerable pain spreading throughout his body. The rings disappeared, and as he panted slightly, he replayed in his head the past hour, wondering what happened to have this effect on him. His thoughts landed him into the moment he and Danny had been shoved through the portal. Vlad remembered how the both of them had screamed in agony because of the electricity running through their bodies. _So that's what did this..._ It must've. Eyes widening, Vlad whipped around back to face Danny, who was around twenty yards away and still walking. If _he _couldn't morph, he came to the same conclusion about Danny; and if he couldn't morph, there was absolutely no way he would survive on his own—no matter what the head-strong teenager said he was capable of doing.

"Daniel!" he yelled anxiously. Danny ignored him.

"_Daniel, you get back here! You won't be able to defend yourself! Your ghost half isn't functioning properly!_" he shouted, his irritation starting to come back. Why did that brat have to be _so stubborn_?

But Danny had covered his ears and called back over his shoulder in quite a juvenile way, "Lalalalala I can't _heeeeeeear_ you! Lalalalala!"

Vlad's annoyance with the teen had pushed to its limit. He growled as the teen disappeared amongst the trees.

"Why, that _childish_ _LITTLE_—!" he didn't even finish the statement, so great was his anger.

* * *

><p>Danny smirked and chuckled slightly. He'd show that crazed up fruit loop that he could take care of himself… He walked along, hands in his pockets, humming one of the newer Coldplay songs, 'Paradise' lightly as he kicked the dead leaves on the forest floor. Danny forced his way through some bushes, since there was no pathway. Well, there went the chance that he might find someone camping or hiking… He paused slightly as he came to a steep rocky hill. Seeing as it was the only way to move on, he tried morphing; after a painful failed attempt, he carefully stepped onto the rocks and cautiously started to make his way down the hill.<p>

After a few careful steps, he started to gain confidence. Stepping a little more recklessly, however, his foot landed on a loose stone, which slipped and gave way, taking Danny with it. His arms flailing helplessly, he screamed as he fell and slid down the rest of the way. Landing in a heap at the bottom of the hill, he cried out in pain, holding his ankle. He had sprained it during his fall; he realized that it was so excruciatingly painful, there was no way he could walk on it in this state.

He bitterly recalled how he'd brushed aside Vlad's companionship. He wouldn't come—he was probably too ticked off at Danny at the moment to even consider coming to his aid. If he even heard him, that is…

_Now _what had he gotten himself into?

* * *

><p>Pacing around angrily, Vlad looked up at the sound of a yell coming from the vague direction Danny had wandered off in. He didn't know whether to be fearful or exasperated: he sounded like he was in a whole lot of pain, but Vlad found it ironic that the teen couldn't stay out of trouble for one blasted minute! He started to walk quickly down the way Danny had taken. Well, it was a chance to say, "<em>I told you so," <em>

He heard the scream louder and more urgently, so he ran in response; Vlad tore through the bushes, while thorns snagged on his clothing and made several small tears. Cursing snack names under his breath, he hurried through the undergrowth until he came to the rocky slope, seeing Danny lying crumpled at the bottom. Knowing Danny must've not been careful enough, Vlad made sure his footing was precise, testing out each rock before being sure it was safe to step on. The going was slow, and it was around a quarter of an hour before he made it safely to the bottom.

"Daniel… are you okay?" he asked slowly, leaning over the pained teenager. Danny, who was now heaving from the pain, clutched his ankle gingerly, not daring to move it.

"M-my ankle; it's k-killing me!" Danny stammered out painfully.

Vlad carefully took hold of his leg, sliding up the bottom of his jeans and taking a look at the wound. A low hiss escaped his mouth as he saw that Danny's ankle was already swollen and had a purplish hue.

"Hold on… I've got something that might help." Vlad said, rummaging in his pockets for a small bag. Withdrawing it, he held it up to make sure it indeed contained the pills he needed. He always kept all sorts of medicinal supplies for emergencies like this. Once he was sure it was the thing he had been searching for, he opened the Ziploc bag and took out two of the small objects.

Danny ignored his pain long enough to peer curiously at what the man was doing. The green pills were in the same shape as those gigantic horse pills, but were tiny in size compared to the latter—about the size of half of his pinky fingernail.

"Put these under your tongue, but don't swallow them—that'll reduce the amount of time the pills have effect. They should take care of the pain." Vlad said, handing them to Danny, who stuffed them into his mouth right away. It tasted odd… like spearmint mixed with oranges…. His mouth felt tingly a few moments after placing them underneath his tongue and the feeling started to spread slowly throughout his body. As the sensation continued to spread outwards, Vlad gathered some kindling and began to make a fire, due to the fact that the sun had finally set and the temperature was beginning to wane rather rapidly.

After getting the fire warm and strong, Vlad looked for a moment at Danny, who had a dreamy expression as he stared vacantly into space.

Meanwhile, Danny felt nothing but bliss, even in spite of the now cool temperatures—the pain was gone, and his whole being felt numb. Even his mind was getting a little fuzzy, too. As if from far away, he vaguely registered Vlad's voice calling to him. A twinge of annoyance tugged at his mind, but then his dazed mind tried to overcome it. If he was going to have to stick with this guy for the next who knows how long, he'd have to be a little more tolerant of him and his ways, Danny realized drearily.

"Daniel, it would probably be wise to get some shut-eye now; you'll be feeling really tired soon."

"_Whaaaat? _I'm not tired; are you tired? 'Cause I'm definitely _not _tired!" Danny replied slap happily; he ran the response all together in one breath like he was on a sugar hype, or something like unto such.

Vlad shrugged, "Suit yourself…. I'm just warning you that you might say something you'll regret!"

Perhaps Vlad should _insist_ that it would be better to get some rest? An evil grin formed on his face. _No… I'll let him figure out on his own! This next scene could be amusing, after all… for me! _he chuckled inwardly, mentally kicking back to watch the show.

"_I _don't think I could say _anything _to_ you _that I might regret, V-Man!" Danny said in a challenging way, completely forgetting the deal with himself to get along with the creep for the time being. As Vlad raised an amused eyebrow, Danny's hazy mind slowly realized that he'd almost forgotten the tiny detail, and, blinking sluggishly, he raised a hand and corrected himself.

"On second thought, Vladdie, I'm gonna be nice—I'm not gonna say that you're one seriously crazed up fruit loop…. I'm not even gonna say that you're the biggest fruit loop who needs a cat I ever laid eyes on! 'Cause _that _wouldn't be nice, and _I'm _gonna be nice! You'll get along with me better if I'm nice, right?" Danny said, his voice now getting a little slurred.

Snorting softly, Vlad said, "Yes, that would be most appreciated, little badger!" He sat down on a log.

"Anyway, where did you get this stuff?" Danny asked, an ear-to-ear smile stretching across his face.

"I made it; I gathered some ghost plants with pain-killing properties and prepared them into pills for times such as this…" Vlad said as he began to warm his hands by the flames of the fire.

"Well, thanks a bunch… _for noooothing!_" Danny said, the same dreamy and slaphappy smile never leaving his face.

"I beg your pardon?" Vlad asked, laughing; oh, this conversation was just getting better and better with every passing second! He felt sorry he didn't have something to record it with him to capture this lovely scene!

"_I said, _thanks for nothing! You can't even let go of somethin' that happened _twenty frickin' years ago! _Ya can't even find your own _wubbin_!" Or, at least, that's what Danny _thought _he said…

"Um… don't you mean _woman_?" Vlad asked, that awfully annoying complacent smile gracing his lips.

"Tha's what I saaaid! Only a low-life, bitter, lonely old man would try to steal someone else's wubbin! You shubbe _ashamed of yourself!_" Danny groggily scolded the billionaire, pointing an accusing finger at him. His tongue felt like it had swollen up to the size of a balloon.

Grinning, Vlad replied mock-earnestly, "Yes, you are _absolutely _right! I am _absolutely _ashamed of myself!"

"_Good!…._ I'm tired…" Danny moaned, teetering slightly as his eyelids starting to droop. He rubbed his head drowsily and lay down. He fell asleep almost instantly.

"_I told you so!" _Vlad said, smirking as he noticed the teen softly snoring. He couldn't wait until the next day when the teen was in his usual frame of mind; _if_ he remembered the previous night, his face would probably be _priceless_…

* * *

><p><strong>Hahahaha! Poor Danny… and poor Vlad. He's probably gonna get it <em>good <em>in the next chapter!**

Castor: The pills were _my _idea, of course!

Pollux: _No, _it was _mine_!

Castor: Stop taking credit for what _I've done!_

*both start wrestling each other*

**Ah, look at those two, and what I have to deal with _every single day._ They're quarreling like an old married couple!**

Castor and Pollux: WE ARE NOT!

***bangs head on desk* Angst, angst, angst!**

Pollux: Well, since Gemini doesn't seem able to communicate any longer, I guess _we'll _wrap up for her.

Castor: Yes, well, review. Gemini would probably like to add that she hopes you all have happy holidays!

**Angst, angst, angst, angst…!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, guys! I hope that you all had a merry Christmas! I know I got everything I asked for, but, then again, I didn't ask for much except a couple books…**

**I'm glad that you all thought the last chapter was funny! I kind of wanted the pills to have a similar effect on Danny as the cactus juice (IT'S THE QUENCHIEST!) did on Sokka in The Last Airbender, minus the hallucinations, hehe.**

**Anyways, this is to Pearl—I'm thrilled that my story has caught your eye—you know, the first fanfic I ever read was your Checkmate; I first heard about it while perusing on Youtube and came across one of the trailers for it! It interested me, and when I read it, you and your Vlad muse sucked me into the world of fanfictiondom, so thanks! Well, I'm _so_ glad that you're giving me advice; and I think you're right that the story needs more descriptions about their surroundings, and hopefully this next chapter will be better in that department.**

**To deadlydaisy808—That idea kind of intrigues me, actually, but no, they are still in present day. I'll give you and the other readers a hint as to where they are. I've camped in this area a lot since it's in the state I live in. Man, the weather there can be _pretty_ bipolar from when I've been there—what I mean is that it can be really _really _hot and dry one hour and the next be overcast and rainy. Then for the rest of the day it stays hot and sunny. Okay, not much of a hint, just a small explanation for now!**

**Also to VampireFrootloopsRule—yes, I believe that it was Castor who died, but Hades let me borrow him as well as Fred, Gollum, and Sméagol from the dead to be my muses! Yup, he and I are on pretty good terms, hehe. **

**So, in other news, my Gollum muse found me a pin, so I'm glad to announce that my head is finally back to its regular size. *makes sure Gollum isn't around* I had to get it away from him pretty quickly—he's kinda dangerous around sharp or pointy things—to others _and_ himself!**

**Alright, so here is my last pair of muses, Fun Danny and Super Danny.**

Super Danny: Did somebody say _super_? *flashes a dazzling smile*

Fun Danny: Hey, dudes *holds up peace sign*!

**Hehe *bumps knuckles with Fun Danny*. Okay, here's chapter 4, peoples! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

_Scrape, scrape, scrape._

Frowning, Danny subconsciously tried to shove the sound away, but it was echoing through his mind, disturbing him in his sleep. His eyes twitched irritably with each sound.

_Scrape, scrape, scrape._

With a soft groan, Danny slowly came to, groggily opening his eyes. Everything was a blur at first, but as he blinked rapidly, it slowly became clearer. The sun was pretty high in the sky; he ventured a guess that it was around noon—give or take an hour or two. Danny wondered how he could have possibly slept as long as he did when the sun was as bright as it was. It was broken up a little by a few trees at the edge of the clearing they were camping in, but many of the rays still reached Danny's eyes.

_Scrape, scrape, scrape._

Danny sat up slowly and turned towards the sound curiously. Vlad was sitting on the same log, sharpening the end of a long stick to a point with a pocketknife. The fire had been put out quite recently, seeing as a small amount of smoke came up from the charred wood. Danny scrunched up his eyebrows; it was pretty unwise of Vlad to leave the fire going all night if he had fallen asleep as well—unless he _didn't _get any rest? He stayed silent for a minute as Vlad continued the action of sharpening the stick; Vlad didn't notice at first that Danny was awake, since he had his back turned to him.

Getting bored of listening to the man's repetitive action, Danny cleared his throat loudly. Jumping at the sound of the noise, Vlad paused a little before turning around, setting the pocketknife down beside him.

Danny frowned at his jittery behavior, and he looked up into the billionaire's face. The shadows under Vlad's eyes confirmed his suspicions: the man didn't even have a wink of sleep the previous night. But, in spite of his appearance, Vlad smiled knowingly, nodded a little, and prodded the tip of the stick with his forefinger to test out its sharpness.

"So, Sleeping Beauty finally woke up?" he asked, finding that it was as sharp as it was going to get.

Rolling his eyes, the teenager stretched out his leg, finding it was stiff. Danny noticed that his ankle and shoe was wrapped in a makeshift bandage that supported it. Vlad's doing, he guessed. From the looks of it, it appeared to be one of the man's handkerchiefs. He gingerly tried to rotate his ankle a little, but hissed as he found that it was _far _from back to normal.

"I guess the pills have worn off," Vlad said, noticing Danny's grimace. "You know, I have _more _if you need them!"

"NO! _I think I'd rather deal with the pain!_" Danny angrily replied to the offer before continuing, "I hate you; you know that?"

He certainly remembered the previous night, and to put it bluntly, he _did not like it._ Why, that jerk! He did that on purpose! Danny was absolutely horrified; what if he didn't remember _all_ of the conversation last night? What if he actually _did _say something else he would've regretted (maybe even about something more serious than was already said)? Sure, the pills' effect on him had embarrassed him royally, but what if he mentioned something about that dark alternate timeline or Clockwork? A _lot _of things could go wrong there, _especially _if Clockwork were involved. Danny already had the scenario prepared in his head; Vlad would probably go after Clockwork in some crazy scheme to change the past or some jazz like that and all heck would break loose leaving Danny responsible for straightening it out! And if... _he..._ escaped Clockwork's tower... well, that concept seemed a little too messy, even for Danny. But, fortunately, Vlad was acting too much like his normal self to have heard anything like that.

Clicking his tongue, Vlad said slyly, "_Hate _is _such _a strong word, Daniel…"

"Yeah; my point exactly!"

Feigning a hurt look, Vlad planted the non-sharpened end of the stick into the dirt. It was sort of almost as tall as the man was, only a head and shoulders difference.

"Oh, I feel _so _hurt you feel that way; well, in _that _case, you're not getting any of the fish!" he said casually.

Confused, Danny looked around Vlad, seeking said fish. He pointedly cleared his throat after his stomach came to the unhappy conclusion that the food was not anywhere in sight.

"I don't have any yet, but I can hear flowing water, so I think there's a stream not that far away from here—maybe even a lake. I'm planning on checking it out. Are you feeling up to walking?" Vlad added before glancing eastward toward where the sound of the stream came from.

Danny glanced at his sprained ankle, silently pondering his answer to the question. Then, slowly, he pushed off of the log with his arms to aid him in standing up. He wobbled a little as he kept all of his weight off his injured leg. He looked hopefully at the stick in Vlad's hand.

"Um, can I...?"

Vlad handed the stick to the invalid of a teenager accommodatingly before letting his ears lead him onward. Danny grasped the staff and used it as a crutch as he followed the older hybrid away from their clearing and back under the cover of the trees.

They hiked on, Vlad walking at a slow pace so Danny could keep up. Danny peered up at the trees, still trying to piece together the possible locations the two of them were dumped into.

Vlad was wondering the same thing as the teen; could they possibly be in the Colorado Rockies? He didn't see any familiar landmarks, however, but still wished in vain that they were; then maybe they could make it to his chalet and then to Amity Park from there. Vlad knew it was probably too good to be true, with _their_ luck. With _their_ luck, they were probably halfway around the world, or maybe even another _dimension_ for all they knew!

In this particular forest, there were both coniferous and deciduous trees. The two half-ghosts could hear only the wind. There were rarely any other sounds, if any, like the cry of a hawk overhead or the scurry of animals in the underbrush, which startled the two if anything of that sort, was heard.

The older hybrid yawned as they stopped to rest for a few minutes. It became apparent to Vlad that the stream was further away than he had anticipated. Danny sat on a boulder, extending his legs relaxingly.

"So, I take it you didn't get much rest last night?" Danny asked, taking note of the elder's exhausted demeanor.

"No, I couldn't; besides… I decided to keep watch for any, er, dangers…" Vlad said, blushing a little as he remembered how he'd practically freaked out every time he heard something scuffling in the bushes—not that he'd admit something like that to the boy.

"Dangers?" Danny asked innocently, but it was quite obvious that he was thrilled at the idea that _Vlad Masters _was scared of wild animals; which, if one thought about it, was quite ironic since the walls at his Colorado chalet were adorned with their pelts…

"_Yes. Dangers._ Bears, bobcats, mountain lions, wolves, et cetera, et cetera—But, I think that I also ran into one of your kin while on guard duty…" Vlad grinned, surprisingly. He remembered most of all that he had discovered that a _badger _had been the culprit of all those terrifying noises among the plants! He laughed softly to himself.

"What are you talking about?" Danny responded. Vlad couldn't have seen any of his family in the middle of nowhere!

Vlad smiled again, stretching before standing up, "Hmm, I think I'll let you ponder on that one." He gestured that it was time to get going again. Danny begrudgingly stood, leaning heavily on the stick, muttering something that sounded a lot like, '_fruit loop_' under his breath.

They eventually came to a particularly dense region of the forest with a rougher terrain and stuffier air, and they made even slower tracks, given Danny's state. However, soon the density decreased back to what it was previously, which was somewhat easier on Danny's ankle. Continuing on, Danny and Vlad could tell that they were really near the stream; except it sounded more like a river, since the roar of the water had become nearly deafening. They rounded the corner and stopped at the sight of the river—well, more of a rapid.

The waters were raging and above normal levels at that, it was pretty plain to see. Perhaps the amount of snowfall had been abnormally large in the area the previous year? It was a possibility, Vlad knew. He raked his memories of news reports on television for any areas that received heavy precipitation... His mind landed on a conversation he had with Harriet Chin at the college reunion last year. They were talking about the weather (_so_ cliché, he knew), and Harriet mentioned how the mountain regions in the western United States was getting quite a bit of snow—well, more than usual, anyway. Well, that was a start—but—he still didn't know which state they were stranded in.

They picked their way through more bushes, Danny hacking a path into them using his stick.

The two of them stood staring into the depths of the raging river for a moment, wondering if any fish actually _were _in there. With the foam and dirt making the water murky, one couldn't really tell.

"We... could go downstream and see about the _lake _theory?" Vlad said, knowing it wouldn't be possible to see any fish in all that muck.

"_No. _I'm in no fit state to walk _one more step._ No... Let's just stay here and get a drink from the stream. I think I see some berries on that bush over there, too." Danny said and pointed vaguely behind them, rubbing his ankle gently as he sat down.

"Very well. Although how you want to drink _that _water is beyond me..." Vlad mumbled; however, his last statement was false. His now near overwhelming thirst was starting to cloud his judgment. He walked off in the direction Danny had pointed in, in search for berries.

Danny rolled his eyes at the man's snobby behavior; didn't he realize what sort of a pickle the two of them were in? _Surely_ he wouldn't mind getting his hands a little dirty to survive?

"Well, if it matters so much to you, you can strain it with something!" Danny snapped, being even more irritable than usual, courtesy of an empty stomach, dehydration, and a throbbing ankle. However, he noticed that it wasn't hurting as much—even though he still wasn't able to apply weight to it without experiencing agonizing pain. He slid up his pant leg and saw that the bruise was now a sickly blue, but not nearly as an eyesore as it had been the last time he looked at it. He held his ghost half responsible for this fast recovery.

"With _what_?" Danny heard Vlad mutter, but he decided to ignore the snide comment.

Danny lay back with his hands behind his head, staring up into the sky. He guessed it was now around three in the afternoon, since the sun wasn't straight overhead anymore. A pang of homesickness struck at Danny. It wasn't the _first_ time he'd spent time away from Fenton Works, of course. He'd gone on plenty of camping trips with the school, so he was no stranger to this type of a situation, but he felt alone—despite the company of _Toucan Sam_ over there. Danny sighed; he hoped that he'd be able to get back to Amity Park soon...

* * *

><p>Sam Manson awoke to the ringing of her cell phone. Groaning, she slowly registered that it was four in the morning from the glow on her digital clock. Picking up her phone crossly, she looked at her caller ID. Jazz Fenton.<p>

Why on Earth was Danny's sister calling her at _this _hour in the morning? Sam pressed the talk button and answered with a big yawn.

"Yeah?" she asked groggily, vaguely hearing Jazz freaking out on the other end of the line.

"Jazz... calm down... Just take a _deep _breath and tell me what's going on." Sam said, her weariness starting to fade as concern took its place.

"_I-it's Danny! He's been missing ever s-since yesterday night!_" Jazz stammered, clearly distressed.

That's when Sam snapped.

"_What?_ What happened? Do you know?" she asked hastily.

Jazz tried to calmly explain, but her voice was still really shaky.

"_The l-last time I saw him—or, heard him—was when he was fighting with Vlad down in t-the lab. T-then everything went quiet and when I went down to investigate, _neither of them were there_!" _she lost control on the last five words, yelling them so loud, Sam had to pull the phone away from her ear.

"_Wait_, wait, wait. So is Vlad missing too?" she asked once Jazz had calmed down enough.

"_I-I-I don't know, I think so, but I'm not completely sure! I had to make up an excuse for the two of them to get Mom and Dad off of their trail, b-but..."_

_I'd bet my life that Vlad's the one behind this... _Sam thought murderously, imagining herself throttling that fruit loop by the neck with malicious pleasure!

Hearing silence from Sam's end of the line, Jazz timidly called her name.

"_S-Sam? Are you still there?"_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm still here. I'll call Tuck and be over there as soon as possible." Sam said, hanging up and dialing her techno-geek friend's number. Looks like they'd have to skip school for the day...

* * *

><p>Fun Danny: Hey, dudes. Hope you had lot's o fun!<p>

**Yeah, guys! Thank you guys for reading. I think maybe next chapter will have more on this mystery ghost that stranded Vlad and Danny. But, you never know; maybe I'll have sadistic pleasure in keeping you in the dark for a few more chapters! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!**

Super Danny: _You fiend!_ I will bring you to justice! This looks like a job for... DANNY PHANTOM!

*overshadows Gemini's body and forces another being out*

**Whew! Sorry, I think I was overshadowed by the mystery ghost! **

Mystery Ghost: You know, I have a _name, _little girl!

**Yes, which the readers will find out in the next chapter! Anyhow, review and share your thoughts on the story so far; advice is always welcome!**

**Happy New Year Everybody!**

***throws confetti***

~Gemini~


	5. Chapter 5

**M'kay, guys! First of all, I'm updating earlier than I expected. I guess as a New Year's treat I decided to give all of you this next chapter! Second of all, I have had to make it daily routine to use a pin on my head now; speaking of which... *looks at reviews*... wow, guys, your comments have seriously made my day! :D... *squeals with excitement and smiles widely* **

One of the Weasley twins: _And._.. here's her hyper side.

Other Weasley twin: Yup, I think she drank a Draught to Induce Euphoria... Otherwise, she wouldn't be acting like this right now.

One of the Weasley twins: Unless her multi-personality disorder is kicking in?

***growls at one of the Weasley twins*: Be quiet, Fred.**

Fred: Ah, but how do you know that I'm Fred? I could be George, you know.

**You're wearing the sweater that has the 'F' on it! I _know _you're Fred!**

George(?): _That_ doesn't mean anything...

Fred(?): Yeah...

***looks between the two, confused* Gred—Forge, no _George_... I mean...**

**Ah, whatever. Anyway, this chapter should introduce our mystery ghost properly, peoples. Here's chapter 5; enjoy! *looks at reviews yet again* Now where's that pin again...?**

**isclaimer-Da: I-a on't-da own-a anny-Da antom-Pha!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

"Something fishy is going on up here... I don't like it!" a large metallic ghost with green eyes declared. He and a group of ghosts conversed in hushed tones in the Ghost Zone, floating at length from a terrifying-looking fortress—the same that was home to Fright Knight (who no longer resided there) and the Ghost King, Pariah Dark.

The rest of the group—Ember, Spectra, Bertrand, Johnny 13, Kitty, Sidney Poindexter, and Technus—nodded vigorously, muttering in agreement.

For the past week, dark clouds had surrounded the castle, green lightning flashing and striking the spires, crackling deafeningly and definitely giving off an aura that something strange was afoot

Not to mention the escape of a high-security prisoner of Walker's. No one knew _who_ exactly had gotten out, being that the jailer and his goons kept the case top-secret from the rest of the Zone. However, if you stood right outside of Walker's jail, judging by the gigantic gaping hole in the east wing, it didn't take a genius to guess that this entity was powerful. Whoever it was, let's just say that they knew it wasn't the Box Ghost or Klemper. This specter was in quite a high league if he/she knew how to escape Walker's clutches without aid from the other prisoners.

No one knew for certain whether these two incidents were related, but, like Skulker just said, they definitely knew something was up.

"Gosh and golly, you don't think that Pariah has been awoken again, do ya?" Poindexter asked nervously.

"No... I think we would've known by now if that were the case..." Skulker replied thoughtfully, rubbing his chin in a perplexed manner.

"Well, Ghost King or not, _that_ is giving me the creeps!" Ember stated flatly, shuddering as some more lightning tore through the clouds over the castle, squarely hitting the topmost spire. The loudest crack yet resounded across the Ghost Zone, making all of their party cover their ears.

Technus whistled lowly as an ominous silence came over the Ghost King's fortress.

"I agree with you on that one, child..." he whispered, though it seemed to reverberate across the plane, so deep and sinister the silence was. The ghosts' eyes were all drawn to the castle; none of them made a sound, hardly daring to breathe, the silence was so all-consuming, so deafening. However, a minute or two later, the stillness vanished as a voice sounded from behind them, nearly scaring the pants off of the eight ghosts.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't the Ghost Zone's _greatest hunter_ and his band of colleagues..."

Skulker wheeled around, appearing to have a look of fearful surprise on his face. However, Spectra spoke first, since the rest of the group was opening and closing their mouths like a bunch of fish out of water. They definitely recognized the ghost that had spoken. How could they not? They'd all known her at one point or another; most of them had met her while in Walker's jail.

"M-Me-Melania! W-what a surprise!"

The ghostly woman yawned casually, examining her fingernails. Then, widening her red eyes in shock, she looked up at the group and smiled, showing pearly white fangs.

"And why is it such a _shock_ to you that I'm here?"

At first glance, it would seem that Melania's skin was extremely pale and fair, but on closer examination, one could see the slight blue-green tinge. Her long raven hair was pulled back into a ponytail and set atop her head was a circlet of pure gold with a ruby-like gem embedded into the metal. She was clad in a black medieval-style dress with strips of red along the sleeves, hem, and collar. All in all, Melania looked like she had stepped out of Prince Aragon's realm.

"Er... aren't you supposed to be...?" Skulker finally found his tongue, but it finally hit him.

Melania giggled darkly, "Yes... I thought you'd put the pieces together..."

"Your father isn't awake... is he?" Poindexter interjected timidly.

"Oh, no, he isn't—in fact, I was _just _barely over there and checked on him. I hear that he _did _wake up?" she asked abruptly, a whole dark new attitude in her tone.

Kitty exchanged glances with Johnny before saying slowly, "Yes, he did... But, that ghost kid Danny Phantom forced him back into the sarcophagus and he's been asleep ever since."

"Yeah, but not before he invaded the Human Realm _and _took over the Ghost Zone!" Johnny said, remembering the incident bitterly.

"You don't say..." Melania growled through gritted teeth. She didn't have fond memories of her father; he'd always shoved her aside during his reign, and all she'd ever wanted was his love! Melania's mother had died when she was still a child—or rather, dissolved into oblivion—and all she had had from then on was her father, Pariah Dark, but of course he denied her the only thing she was in need of. He was too busy being the dictator he was to heed his only child. Then, when the Ancients vanquished Pariah, they locked her away into a highly protected prison cell for over one thousand years: her crime—being the Ghost King's daughter. Even though she was young and not really evil at the time (only being a desperate little girl wanting affection), her resentment towards her father, the Ancients, and everyone else grew as the time passed by. Walker, of course, didn't come along until much later, but she got to know him really well... Then, when her father was finally awakened, he didn't come and free her from that infernal prison, but continued his tirade of terror—_without_ her! That definitely boosted her feelings of hatred toward him. Now, none of her previous feelings remained. Now, Melania felt that her father had gotten what he deserved. Oh, but she'd _show_ him. She would definitely outdo her father someday—and that was what she planned to do once she had broken out of Walker's prison.

"Well, my fellow ghosts, it looks like I'd better be on my way!" Melania said after coming out of her reverie, her slightly evil smile making even Skulker cringe.

Once she had gained a great distance from them, Skulker slowly turned back to the rest of the group.

"You know... I never thought I'd say this... but I hope that whelp can handle this..."

"Yes, I think he can; he has a good shot at beating that bully since he beat her father, right?" Poindexter asked hopefully.

Ember gulped, "That dipstick might, but he defeated Pariah with a lucky shot _and _some help. And... this isn't Pariah Dark we're talking about... haven't you _seen _what his daughter's capable of?"

"Yes, she might not be as _big _as him, but she inherited all his strength plus _more_..." Kitty mumbled.

They all stared at the fading speck in the distance that was Melania.

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><p>Melania floated away back in the direction of Pariah's castle calmly, hands behind her back. So far, everything was going according to plan. Melania heard of one halfa that would definitely resist and try to stop her. She remedied that—by getting rid of that pesky half-ghost hybrid and sent him to a place where he couldn't get in the way. It wasn't originally her plan to send the elder away as well, but he was too close to Phantom when she opened the portal. Now that she thought about it, she didn't know what to think about it—had she made a mistake in doing that? Plasmius might've made a good ally, but then again, she heard that the man was a little too proud to work for <em>anyone<em>. He would only accept being the employer, _never_ the employee. It also occurred to Melania as she closed the portal that Vlad Plasmius might unknowingly help in this way. He would be a distraction to the boy with all of their constant bickering and maybe keep him occupied a little while longer... They couldn't agree on anything—it was plausible.

She continued to mull over these confident thoughts as she entered the fortress and teleported past all of the booby traps into the grand hall. She halted ten yards away from the sarcophagus that contained her father and gazed up indifferently at it. Staring at the sarcophagus (that was at least twice her height) silently for at least ten minutes emotionlessly, Melania finally opened her mouth slowly and spoke in a dangerous voice, and in that moment, she seemed to grow ten more feet so to speak, suddenly appearing much more intimidating than she had been.

"You know, Father, if I were still the little girl you thought you knew, I would seriously consider releasing you, but unfortunately for you, I'm not that innocent child anymore. I'm going to show you, Father. I'll be more than you _ever_ were. You can _bet on that_."

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><p><strong>Sorry, this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but I plan on having all the other chapters longer than this. I also confess that the ending was a little darker than I anticipated...<strong>

**Haha, yes, Melania is Pariah Dark's daughter! Yes, she let her anger fester until she became nearly as malevolent as her old man, so she naturally wants to outshine him to prove that she wasn't worthless as he thought she was. I kind of wanted her to have a bitter past (kind of like Vlad!) to have as her reasoning to do what she does—also since most ghosts have an obsession (Box Ghost w/ boxes, Desiree w/ granting wishes, Technus w/ technology, etc.) so she is obsessed with succeeding in what her father did not—taking over the Ghost Zone and Human World. Please let me know if I achieved that!**

**I hope I did a good job on the plot of this chapter! I'm really wondering, so review and let me in on your opinion, people! I'm also open for suggestions. So, George—anything you wanna say?**

Fred(?): _He's _not George, _I _am!

George(?): Honestly, girl, you call us _your _muses?

***sigh* Sorry Fred.**

George(?): I'm only joking, really; I am George!

**Grrr... **

**Anyways, have a happy new year! May 2012 be prosperous and full of opportunity to you all!**


	6. Chapter 6

**WOO-HOO! 2012! *throws some more confetti* **

***Clears throat* Okay, so today wasn't really too good for me; I have rheumatoid arthritis that _was _in remission, but then it decided to flare up again and to start the year off, I had to get an injection in my knee (getting a needle shoved under your kneecap is NOT fun!) So, instead of getting back to school, I'm bedridden for the next couple days. Fun, fun, fun... **

**Anyways, I've decided to update now—now that I think about it, I've been updating a lot lately... I am usually such a _slow _writer, it kills me! I don't know if this is just the rush before the author's block, but I'm enjoying this while it lasts!**

Sméagol: Sméagol has helped; he has helped a lot, right?

**Yes, you have. And, surprisingly enough, Gollum is nowhere in sight! *gasp* Should I be worried?**

**No matter—here is chapter 6!**

**Disclaimer: Je ne suis pas la propriétaire de Danny Phantom (hehe, practicing my French!)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Once Jazz had successfully persuaded Jack and Maddie that Danny had spent the night at Tucker's house and was over there at that very moment, they left the house to test out some of their new equipment on some unsuspecting ghosts that were roaming Amity Park. It took quite a bit to sway Jack into believing that Danny's disappearance wasn't ghost-related (which, frankly, was correct this time around!) Then, she notified Sam and Tucker it was safe to come over. Once they had gotten there, Jazz let them in feverishly. No doubt she really disliked skipping school, but her worry for her little brother overcame it.

"Whoa..." Tucker said as he entered the lab, seeing its disastrous state. What else could be said when the whole place looked like a _train wreck_?

"Whoa is right. And what's worse, I can't find the Fenton Boomerang, so there goes _that _way of finding him..." Jazz said, folding her arms and biting her lip as she panned up and down the lab. She was poring over the room for at least some sign as to what happened—besides the obvious fact that there had been a fight there.

Sam tapped her fingers on the edge of the lab table thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling as if she were actually staring into space and the ceiling just so happened to be there. Her eyes roved around and landed onto a security camera in the corner of the room. _Cha-ching.._. she thought craftily.

"The Op-Center..." she said out loud, but more to herself.

"What?" Jazz and Tucker asked together.

Gesturing for them to follow her impatiently, she said, "Come on—I think I know how we can figure this out."

The other two stumbled after her as she wheeled away at high-speed up to the Fenton Op-Center. She rewound the tape until she caught sight of both Danny and Vlad changing into their ghost halves.

"Okay, so that's where the fight began..." she said, pressing play as she thanked goodness that neither of Danny's parents checked these tapes; otherwise, there were multiple occasions that jeopardized his secret caught on _all _of these. Sam made a mental note to search through them and sabotage all the tapes that showed Danny morphing.

Sam, Tucker, and Jazz watched the two fighting up until the point where Danny and Vlad toppled backwards through the portal.

Sam stopped the tape as Jazz came into the room on the screen.

"Oh, no." Jazz stated, paling slightly. "I shut the portal on them! What if I locked Danny in the Ghost Zone?"

"Jazz, calm down. I don't think it's your fault; they would've just gone to Vlad's portal and came back that way if they were okay. But since Danny's not back, I don't think that's the case." Tucker said reassuringly; however, that did little to comfort the sixteen-year-old. Quite the contrary, in fact; Jazz whimpered a little.

Sam turned away from the screen and at the other two, saying, "Which leaves us with the question of what went on in there... Maybe Vlad kidnapped Danny? I think it's a possibility; after all, I don't doubt he'd stoop to that level."

"Maybe... but we can't be sure yet." Jazz said, though it seemed evident that this possibility was the most credible in her logical opinion. She couldn't jump to conclusions; despite Vlad's reputation in the three's eyes, for Jazz it was unjustified to automatically blame this on the billionaire—at least, not yet...

The three sat and discussed some other scenarios that were reasonable, but they all seemed to agree that the first one needed to be confirmed first. They all decided to go over to the mayor's house and investigate. With that, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz walked over to said place, careful to avoid getting caught for skipping class.

Once they reached the manor, Jazz timidly tapped on the door.

...

...

...

"Oh, get out of the way!" Sam stepped up closer to the large mahogany double doors and knocked furiously, wrath filling her eyes. After a few moments of silence, she rang the doorbell a dozen times or so before waiting for a response.

...

...

...

"Why, that—that—cowardly _jerk_!" Sam hissed, her eyes narrowing and glaring daggers at the door. That man had Danny in there, she knew it! And now his lack of answering the door proved to her just how _sick _and _vile _and _pusillanimous _and _monstrous _and _creep-ish _and... she could continue that list forever, but no matter what she called him, it wouldn't help getting Danny away from him! Finishing her list of adjectives, she made up her mind on what she had to do next.

"_Well_, if that cheesehead thinks he can shake us off _just_ by refusing to answer the door, he's got another thing coming. Can I borrow a bobby-pin?" Sam asked Jazz.

Jazz immediately pulled one out of her hair and handed it to the fuming Goth girl. Sam turned over to the lock on the door and began picking it. Unfortunately, she wasn't too good at this type of thing. After about ten minutes of fruitless jabbing with the bobby-pin, she sighed in frustration.

Tucker raised an eyebrow that clearly said something like, '_Dude, a _chair_ could pick locks better than that,_'

"Not. A. Word!" Sam snapped at him. Tucker raised his hands defensively.

She went back to irately stuffing the bobby-pin into the keyhole. Another quarter of an hour had passed before Jazz was about to suggest that she give it a try; but, just as she opened her mouth, a small click could be heard that signified the unlocking of the door.

"_Ha! YES! SUCCESS!"_ Sam yelled ecstatically.

"'Bout time..." Tucker muttered, but Sam either didn't hear or decided to ignore it.

They cautiously pushed the French doors open and wandered inside, closing the door as quietly as they could. The three teenagers gazed around the place for a minute. The inside of this mansion was just as much filled with Packers merchandise as the one back in Wisconsin; surprise.

Rolling her eyes, Sam turned and said to the others, "Okay, we'll split up and search for Danny or any signs that he's here. If you guys run into Vlad or any other form of trouble, get in touch using the Fenton Phones, 'kay?" She handed Tucker and Jazz each a pair of them, putting hers on. Tucker and Jazz nodded once and then each went down a different hall.

Sam, after watching both go down their designated hallways, started climbing up the stairs to the second floor. Once she reached the top, she wandered aimlessly down it, gazing at all the paintings (which mostly consisted of either A) Vlad or B) more Packers-related things). Sam stopped as she came across a copy of that one famous painting of Napoleon Bonaparte riding a horse—except, instead of Napoleon's head, it was Vlad's. Her face contorted into an expression of disgust.

"Okay, that is _one ugly painting_... And I thought he was a fruit loop _before_! Someone is certainly full of himself!" she said to herself before shuddering and continuing on.

Besides the creepy painting, the only other discoveries she made were of _more_ creepy paintings. Without a doubt, this house was definitely inhabited by one seriously crazed up fruit loop! There was no sign of either Danny or Vlad. At all. Just as she was about to call the others and call it quits, Tucker came on the Fenton Phones and spoke.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam asked worriedly back, wondering if perhaps he had run into trouble.

"Uh, this isn't exactly an emergency or anything on Danny, but I think you'll want to be seeing this; I'm in Vlad's private study—I've already told Jazz and she's on her way here now."

"Oh; okay, I'll be right over." Sam said, turning around and going back in the direction she had come from. She passed the creepy portrait with one more shudder and then went back downstairs. Then, going down the hall Tucker had gone down. Once she reached the study, she saw Jazz and Tucker hunched over a desk, reading something out of a book.

When she joined them, she looked curiously down at the book. The desk was cluttered and covered with papers and books—kind of like what Jazz's desk looked like whenever she crammed (her brain until it overflowed) for a test. That was saying something. Sam read the page that had Jazz and Tucker's attention.

On one page, it had a picture of a blood red crystal; the page next to it had information on the object in tiny print. Sam started reading aloud:

"_The Gale Gem, according to legend, has the power of controlling other beings. When one gazes at the wearer of the Gem and hears them speaking, their will crumbles and they fall under the wielder's spell, doomed to follow their voice's every command until the wearer decides to release them or the Gem breaks—_hey, that's kind of like Freakshow's crystal ball!" she noticed.

"Yeah, read on." Jazz nudged on.

Sam cleared her throat before reading onto the next paragraph, "_The Gem also possesses properties like producing electrical energy, strong winds, and also a manner of other powers. It has been rumored to have produced some of the strongest magnitudes of tornadoes and earthquakes in history._"

Sam stopped reading right then, since the book then began rambling about the Gale Gem's long history of aiding in some of the most devastating natural disasters. Setting the book down, she looked at some of the papers that were strewn across the desk. All of them were filled from top to bottom with notes on the subject. Vlad's thin neat cursive sometimes grew sloppier whenever it looked as if he hurried as he wrote. Skimming over some of the contents, she found that apparently Freakshow's ancestors must have gotten hold of the Gem and made their crystal ball using similar materials. No one knew where it was, but Vlad was sure that it was somewhere around Pariah Dark's castle for some reason—he didn't elaborate why in the notes.

"Hmm, he's up to _something_ alright..." Sam mumbled, raising both eyebrows.

"But... nothing to do with Danny from what we can tell... Come on, guys—we'd better get out of here before we're caught by that crackpot or something..."

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><p>It was raining. It had been drizzling since noon the day after Danny and Vlad set up their little 'camp' by the river. Just barely after three it slowed to a sprinkle, but there were still plenty of two-inch-deep puddles that were spread out everywhere.<p>

At least it wasn't cold; otherwise they would need to build another fire, which probably wouldn't work since all the wood they could find was damp. Danny was currently sitting under a thick pine tree to keep from getting wet.

"OH, BUTTER BISCUITS!" Danny looked up when he heard the yell.

Vlad yanked his foot out of a puddle that was at least half of a foot deep. His shoe and the bottom part of his pant leg were soaked and covered in mud. Muttering angrily under his breath, he walked back towards Danny carrying another handful of berries, his shoe making a squelching noise every other step.

Danny smirked inconspicuously; his diabolical plan on getting Vlad to step in one of those puddles by asking him to kindly get more berries had worked! As Vlad sat down beside the younger halfa, he emptied the blackberries into Danny's lap uncaringly. He turned his attention to wiping the mud off of his shoes with a look of disgust etched into his face.

"Thank you, Unkie Vlad!" Danny said innocently.

Shooting the younger a glare, Vlad muttered incomprehensibly under his breath, but Danny heard the words 'little rat' in there somewhere. Danny stuck out his tongue at the man before sticking one of the blackberries into his mouth with relish as he closed his eyes, smiling smugly.

With narrowed eyes, Vlad snapped, "Why do you have to be so _childish_ all the time?"

"Why do you have to be such a _stick in the mud _all the time?" Danny retorted smoothly, pun intended.

SPLAT! The front of Danny's shirt was hit by a glob of mud. Danny's eyes snapped open in shock as he yelped from the sudden assault.

"Teen wit annoys me..." Vlad stated plainly, holding up another blob of the slimy stuff.

Wiping off most of the excess muck that caked his tee-shirt, Danny snorted softly at the comment. After doing so, he stuffed another berry in his mouth.

Narrowing his eyes, Vlad asked darkly, "You really are taking advantage of that twisted ankle, aren't you?" Danny responded by feigning a look of shock.

"Whatever would give you _that _idea, _Uncle Vlad_?"

"Oh, I don't know... just the fact that you've been sitting here like the Queen of Sheba, ordering me around!"

"Okay, _first_ of all, I'm not a girl. Second of all, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Danny said, smiling complacently back at the man. Now the mayor was getting paid back for all of those times he annoyed Danny!

"Well, starting tomorrow, we'll be _going downstream_, sprained ankle or not! By staying here, we're getting absolutely nowhere, and the sooner we start moving, the sooner we get out of this backwater forest!" Vlad said. And, with that said, he turned his attention to the now clearing skies. Danny sighed at Vlad's assertiveness before too shifting his gaze towards their surroundings.

It had just barely stopped sprinkling; the clouds were breaking up and the sun now shone through. With that newly formed rainbow arching through the sky and the smell of that clean refreshed air and pine, Danny and Vlad both stopped to appreciate the beauty of this place for the first time since they arrived. Being too wrapped up in the frustration of their predicament, neither of them had really noticed how gorgeous the place was. They both had to admit, it was quite a sight for a backwater forest. In fact, out of all the locations in the world, Danny believed that there couldn't have been a better one to be stranded in. So, kicking back and relaxing, the two silently admired the serene forest as the afternoon passed by.

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><p><strong>Hehe, I kinda made a reference to the episode Livin' Large in this chapter if ya didn't catch it, even though it hasn't happened yet according to where this story takes place on the DP timeline. I absolutely found it hilarious in that ep when Danny discovered that painting of Vlad that covered his portal! I recognized it immediately as the same painting of Napoleon—and I kind of had Sam say the same thoughts that went through my mind when I did!<strong>

**The Gale Gem... I'll give you one guess for the main reason Vlad wants it, hehe! You know him and his perseverance to get the things he wants!**

**It's funny how Vlad stooped low enough to actually _throw mud _at Danny, but after how childish he acted in EfaE... I think that just might be believable! **

**Alright, so you know the drill and what I expect from y'all! REVIEW! **

**Until next time, peoples! **


	7. Chapter 7

***stomach grumbles* hehe, you'll have to forgive me; I decided to be smart and only had a Poptart to eat today. Yes, a Poptart, 'cause I'm awesome like that. **

**Alright peoples, hope you're all doing swell! Decided to update SotF for you all.**

Pollux: Yup, that's kind of obvious; otherwise ya wouldn't be here, Gem.

**Don't be smart with me.**

Castor: Yeah, be _dumb _with her, Pollux.

**Just ignore… just ignore… **

**Here's chapter 7.**

**Disclaimer: Me no owns Danny Phantom!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

"Really? You want to go _another _night without any rest? Seriously, dude, are you actually _trying _to prove to me how certifiably insane you are? You are _one seriously crazed up fr—" _

"_Don't say it!_" Vlad warned the teenager.

It was around ten-thirty at night that same day. Most of the water had evaporated from the ground, but the deeper puddles left behind small damp depressions. Vlad had just barely sparked another fire, which was now blazing lively. He smoothly continued on, trying to explain his reasoning.

"I don't particularly see why you would be concerned with _my _well-being, Daniel—but, if you must know, I am not really tired. You, however, are injured and need all the strength you can get. Also, like I said before; I will be on the lookout for—"

"Dangers, yeah, yeah…." Danny interrupted carelessly, waving off the rest of the man's comment. "Like I believe _you're not tired_! That, by the way, is an utter load! Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?" He gestured toward the mayor. Vlad was clearly worn out; his tired red eyes were emphasized by the shadows underneath them, which were even more pronounced than earlier that day. Even as Danny spoke, his eyelids were drooping; Vlad fought to keep them up. His posture wasn't even his usual proud straight-backed one—he now slouched exhaustedly.

"Well, I would've, if I _had_ one." Vlad smiled.

"I'm serious, Vlad. Really, you get some rest, and if it means so much to you, _I'll _keep a lookout for _scary animals_!"

Vlad's eyes at half mast from skepticism, he asked, "And what of your injury? Is it even still there?"

"No." Danny said matter-of-factly as he shook his head, smiling ingenuously. He had kept an eye on his sprained ankle for the past few hours—it had faded from blue to a light brown and then finally vanished altogether. He didn't tell Vlad though until this particular moment; Danny wanted to see how long this ruse could last before the truth was revealed. He had to admit—it lasted longer than he had thought it would.

Vlad sighed and rolled his eyes, but on the inside, he was relieved.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it—not that keeping that little tidbit of information from me would've changed anything; we're still leaving this place in the morning. However, I guess you're right—I could use a little rest..." he said.

"A _little_...?" Danny asked, smiling as the other lay down on his back, cushioning his head with his hands. Vlad flashed the teen a glance before turning onto his side away from him.

Danny stared up into the sky for a few minutes, searching for familiar constellations. He found Orion first, then shortly after Ursa Major and Minor. His eyes had just barely landed on the North Star, Polaris, when he heard the sound of a loud snore. Looking back at Vlad, he noted that the man was indeed emitting the noise. Danny stifled a laugh before turning his gaze back to the stars. It was so amazing to Danny; the sky was so clear of light pollution, he could see millions more stars up there than he ever could in Amity Park.

For some reason, Danny didn't feel tired, so it was no problem whatsoever to keep his promise to Vlad to keep lookout. Maybe it was a side effect of that crazy pill? If that was so, it wouldn't have been much of a surprise to Danny.

He wondered if it was possible if he could get a bird's-eye-view of their location. If he could morph yet, he supposed he or Vlad could the following day. They were in the deep _deep _woods, so he reckoned that it would have to be miles before they could find a road of any sorts, but it might help if they knew which direction they should go in to find the nearest trace of civilization. Danny tried to transform into Phantom, but like Vlad's attempt when they had first been dumped there, the rings around his torso fizzled out, leaving him moaning in pain. How long would this effect last? Was it temporary or _permanent_? Dread filled him; it hadn't occurred to him before now that his ghost half might be damaged permanently... _no—_he couldn't expect the worst. His powers would come back eventually, he knew it.

With that optimistic thought, he relaxed and sat transfixed by the sound of the gentle breeze and the running water. For the rest of the night, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

* * *

><p>Vlad awoke to the light peeking through the trees the following morning—or... was it afternoon? The next thing he noticed was Daniel's face, almost nothing more than a blurred silhouette against the sun. Danny raised an eyebrow mischievously.<p>

"_So Sleeping Beauty finally woke up_?" he mocked as the man sat up slowly.

"Oh, very funny... Do you know what time it is?" Vlad asked, stretching slightly. Last night had been pure bliss for him; the rest he had attained had certainly hit the spot.

"Mm, I'd say around noon..." Danny said evenly, folding his arms.

"Noon? Why didn't you wake me up before? We could've walked _miles_ by now!" Vlad snapped.

"Well, I just didn't want to disturb your beauty sleep. Gee, you're already too much of a jerk when you're wide awake, I don't need to witness you when you're tired, too!" Danny said, as if that was all the justification needed.

Vlad ignored Danny's comment, "Come on, Daniel." He stood up, straightening the tie of his now rather grungy suit. Danny complied, arms still folded.

They began heading southeast, following the river as it cut through the forest. Both Danny and Vlad noticed that the further they went downstream, the slower the flow of the water. The raging rapids slowly became a regular-paced stream, though it was still obvious that the water level was above normal. Following on for a few more miles, the dense woods began to thin, and for the first time in hours the two half-ghosts finally got a breath of fresh air. The cool breeze felt soothing after the stuffiness undercover of trees and its greenhouse effect. Danny blinked a couple of times as he came out into the sunlight.

Finally, the forest died down into yet another clearing, and a lake lay glistening in the middle of it. The two guessed that it was around a hundred feet across and maybe about three hundred long. A little bit around the edge of the lake was a continuation of the stream, which went on in an easterly direction. The wind rippled across the clear waters as Vlad and Danny approached it.

"Ah, _finally_…" Vlad said, snatching the stick from Danny's slackened hand.

"_Hey!_" Danny protested.

Vlad studied the shallow water by the edge, searching for any signs of fish. He was absolutely sick of berries, having eaten nothing _but _for the past couple of days, and this time was dead-set on catching some fish. After seeing some movement under the transparent water a couple of yards from the edge, he yanked off his shoes and rolled up his pant legs and waded cautiously outwards, poising the stick to stab downwards when the moment was right.

Danny watched from a distance curiously. Did he really know how to fish using that method?

After a few moments of standing there as still as a statue, he suddenly thrust the spear downwards, but apparently missed, judging by the groan that followed it. Several more tries like this happened afterwards.

Danny smiled and watched, amused as he witnessed these attempts.

At one point, Vlad actually dove into the water, lunging for a fish, but he came up wet with empty hands.

After doing this, Vlad turned to glare with narrowed eyes at the teenager, who was laughing.

"Oh, if you're such a pro, why don't _you _give it a shot and show me how it's done? _Hmm?_" he asked.

"I never _said_ I was a pro, Unkie Vlad… and no thanks, I'm perfectly fine with _not_ giving it a try." Danny said happily.

"…Little rat…" Vlad muttered as he turned back to trying to skewer fish as Danny intently watched with a grin plastered on his face. Eventually he forced Danny to move with him to the location of the edge where the river continued emptying water from the lake rapidly, thinking that he might have a better chance of catching a fish there. Still, it took a long time for him to actually succeed. Danny laughed as he witnessed this: a _chair _could fish better than that!

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Vlad finally got a lucky shot at a small trout. He still hadn't gotten hang of the refracted light concept, yet the stick just barely snagged on the little thing's tail, pinning it. It was a miracle, really, since the sun was almost all the way down again, which made it harder to see. He seized the fish and brought it up out of the water and into the air. Struggle ensued as the trout wriggled crazily in his grasp, and Vlad almost lost his grip on it, it was so slippery.<p>

Danny, who by now had gotten tired of watching Vlad's repeated failed attempts and fallen asleep, jolted awake as he heard the man's triumphant "AHA!"

"Well, what do you know… the cheesehead can actually manage to catch a fish without a pole…" Danny said sleepily, yet he smirked as he sat up.

He was glad that he turned his gaze to Vlad when he did, for the billionaire was still struggling with the small fish. Vlad held it up at eye level as he tried to keep it firmly in his grasp, but the slippery creature slid up out of his hands and flailed, smacking him across the face with its wet tail a few times before he snatched it from the air furiously. Danny laughed loudly as Vlad spluttered in a flustered manner.

Finally, after smacking the stubborn fish on a rock repeatedly, it went limp. Vlad looked at Danny, irritated as the teen continued tearing up.

"Just go and get some wood for a fire, Daniel!" he shooed him.

"Fine," Danny said, standing up and turning around, but stopped immediately as he saw something in the bushes: a pair of eyes. A growl emitted from whatever it was that was hidden in the shadows.

"V-Vlad… something's… in the bushes…" Danny whispered nervously, warily staring at the large eyes.

"What?" Vlad snapped, turning around to see what the teen was talking about. As soon as he saw the pair of hungry eyes in the shadows, worry and fear engulfed him. This couldn't be good.

Danny backed up slowly as Vlad opened and closed his mouth, making odd noises.

The creature emerged slowly from the darkness. A gray wolf. It snarled loudly as it bit by bit approached the two half ghost hybrids.

Vlad's eyebrows creased worriedly; wolves were shy creatures and avoided people at all costs, and most certainly didn't _attack_ them—not unless they were cornered, sick, or deprived of food. The first wasn't possible and neither was the last one since he heard plenty of prey-worthy critters scurrying about all the time. Perhaps it had rabies? Normally a situation as simple as this wouldn't have worried the older halfa. But now, since _both_ of their powers were shorted out, the thought unsettled Vlad. In either case, they were being confronted by a wolf—a wild animal. Not good.

It was focused at the moment on Danny, who was still backing away wide-eyed towards the edge of the river. He was whimpering slightly, scared stiff bar his legs, which moved seemingly of their own accord backwards.

Vlad snapped out of his fear, a red flag waving in his head telling him Danny was in danger. His fearful expression switched abruptly to an intimidating scowl as he brandished the spear, setting the fish down on a rock. Picking up a stone that was about the size of the base of his palm, he tossed it at the wolf, hitting it squarely on the nose.

"_HEY!_" he yelled, successfully gaining the wolf's attention. It growled menacingly, turning from the teen to Vlad, but not before Danny took one step too far backwards.

Danny toppled backwards into the raging river with a choked cry.

"DANIEL!" Vlad shouted, watching in horror as the younger was swept away by the torrent.

* * *

><p><strong>*from underneath a rock* …hehe… I'm terribly sorry for leaving you guys with a little cliffhanger, but please don't hurt me. IT WAS THE MUSES! DON'T BLAME ME! BLAME THEM!<strong>

Castor: Oh, sure, blame the muses—what the heck, we're easy targets!

Pollux: M-maybe instead of mauling us, you could review? Hehe?


	8. Chapter 8

Fun Danny: Hey, uh, dude, I think that you have some explaining to do.

**Er… about that…. Right, yeah… I'm, uh, sorry about that, but it really wasn't _my _fault, it was Castor and Pollux's fault; you'll need to take it out on _them_…**

Super Danny: *charges an ectoblast*

Pollux: _No! It wasn't us, we swear!_

Castor: Yeah, it was… it was… Gollum! Yes, Gollum and Sméagol came up with that cliffie!

Sméagol: No, no! Sméagol would _never _do that! Sméagol is your friend!

George: Oh, don't deny it, Slinker! You and Stinker are more than capable of such ideas!

Fred: Yeah! *aims a firework at Gollum/Sméagol*

Gollum: Ssssstupid boys doesn't knows what they talks about!

Fred: WHY YOU LITTLE—!

*muses tackle each other*

***sigh* Okay, I guess I had this coming. Now that I've kept you waiting, I guess I'll let you in on what happens next while I try to calm down my muses—HEY! BREAK IT UP!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Butch Hartman**

**Chapter 8**

* * *

><p>Cold. <em>Freezing <em>cold: that's all that Danny felt and could register at first as he tumbled through the water. His muscles screamed in protest, tensing up while his lungs were begging for air. It seemed like an eternity before he could finally turn himself upright and gasp for air, but then was immediately sucked back underwater.

He tried digging his heels into the riverbed to slow down but all he managed was flipping himself over in the torrent. Luckily in the middle of it he caught another breath.

Danny lost all sense of direction—he didn't know which way was up and which was down. He was panicking; he was going to die!

Just as he thought this, he threw his arms up out of the water and _caught onto something. _He held onto it for dear life as he struggled to lift his head out of the water; the river kept tugging on him, trying to make him let go of this lifeline.

Danny finally managed to break through the surface, coughing up water and spluttering madly. He slung his arms over the object he had caught onto. It was a low-hanging bough that hung a couple feet over the river. As Danny shivered, he thanked heaven that he just barely managed to catch onto it.

Minutes passed by as Danny held on tightly to his lifeline. He wondered if and how he could get to the edge of the river from where he was, but he couldn't think of any except lunging towards the bank, and he didn't want to take the risk of being swept away again. Perhaps he should just wait for Vlad to come looking for him?

Oh no—_Vlad_. He was still alone with that wolf! So, _sure _Vlad would come looking for him—_if _he wasn't torn to shreds first!

Danny whimpered and shivered violently for the next ten or so minutes; it was so ironic, really. He'd fought and won against many really powerful ghosts like Vlad, Fright Knight, the Ghost King, and so many others, and _what killed him?_ Hypothermia.

Just as he mulled over this happy thought, he heard someone calling his name.

"DANIEL?"

Danny looked up hopefully, searching for the source. He tried responding, but his lips were numb at first. He licked them before attempting to yell.

"I'M O-OVER H-HERE!" he stuttered, his voice slightly cracking.

There was silence for a few more moments before Vlad came running around the bend. He paused for a fraction of a second as he surveyed the scene of Danny clinging to the branch, river coursing by. Then he ran to the edge as close to Danny as he could manage. He extended the stick he held towards the teenager.

"Grab a hold!" the man yelled over the roar of the river.

Danny slowly adjusted his hold on the branch so he could hold on with just one hand while he reached out with the other slowly towards the stick. He gripped firmly onto it, but still felt reluctant to release his hold on the tree branch.

"Come on, Daniel!" Vlad called, leaning out as far as he could while staying safe from falling in.

Danny was still too afraid to let go; what if the current was too strong and pulled the boy away again, yanking the stick away from Vlad? He didn't want that possibility to happen.

As if he had read the boy's mind, Vlad yelled louder, "I promise I won't let you get swept off again, Daniel! You need to trust me; _let go of the branch_!"

Trust. _Him? _Danny bitterly chuckled inwardly at the irony, but it was quickly overcome with the realization that if he didn't let go, he'd be stuck in the water anyway and freeze to death. The air was already chilly without the icy water to begin with. Tightening his grip with his one hand on the stick, he quickly released the bough and brought it to the stick also. Vlad maintained his grasp, even though the sudden pull as Danny began to be carried away by the current jerked at the stick.

Grunting slightly, Vlad was nearly overwhelmed at how powerful the river actually was. He had definitely underestimated it. The stick started to slip—Vlad panicked and tightened his grip even more than it already was. He began reeling in the stick, pulling Danny towards the bank. When the boy was within an arm's length, Vlad reached out with one hand to help him out. Danny quickly grabbed it; Vlad's concern was instantly spurred as he felt Danny's clammy hand. He hoisted the soaked and freezing teen out of the water.

Danny's legs wobbled as his full weight was applied onto them. It became too much and they caved in, leaving him on his hands and knees. He was absolutely exhausted.

Vlad took off his suit jacket and placed it around Danny's shoulders. The boy's teeth were chattering as he shook uncontrollably. Danny pulled the jacket closer around him. Once the teen's shivers mostly subsided, Vlad gathered some kindling and made another fire. The warmth felt like bliss against Danny's frozen skin.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked the silent teen after a few minutes.

"A little," Danny sniffed. His voice sounded as though he were coming down with something. "I'm just a little hungry."

"Well, then it's good that I brought this with me." Vlad said, pulling out the little fish he had caught merely half an hour before.

Looking at the limp trout in the man's hand incredulously, Danny raised an eyebrow, "Really? You brought the fish?"

"Of course," Vlad laughed, "After all that time I invested on catching it _just _to leave it merely because of an attacking wild animal and an overboard teenager? Really, is it that hard to believe?" Danny snorted in response.

"Speaking of which, how did you get away from that thing?" Danny asked curiously.

"Ah, let's just say that I, er, made it go away," Vlad said. He remembered what happened, marveling on how lucky he had been to not get bitten or _anything. At all._

_As soon as the teen had fallen into the river, after staring in horror as he was carried around the river bend, his attention snapped back to his predicament. The wolf was advancing, teeth bared. Fearfully wielding the stick, he held it out and pointed the sharpened end towards the rabid creature. He had no hope of outrunning it, so he had no choice but to fight it off or kill it. Vlad didn't quite know how to do this without his powers, but he still had to at least try. _

_The wolf suddenly lunged for the man's throat, but Vlad dodged and swung the stick at the creature. It brushed past the wolf's ears, but was too high-aimed to actually hurt the beast. It attacked again, this time almost succeeding in nicking his arm, but luckily Vlad's reflexes were quick—evading its lunge, he thrust the sharpened stick so it grazed the wolf's side. The beast yelped in pain, staggering backwards and away from the man; the wound was fairly deep, but not quite enough to defeat it yet. Panting, Vlad realized he couldn't afford to get injured by the creature; it probably had rabies (since wolves usually didn't leave the pack, which made this most likely a sick one), and since they wouldn't be able to get any proper medical attention if he got bitten or scratched. Man and wolf circled for a few moments, the animal showing signs of weakness. Vlad decided that if he were to scare it off, he had better make the next attack. He propelled the stick forward towards the wolf's face, and hit its right eye. The wolf cried out in agony as Vlad quickly removed the stick from the eye and brought it down hard onto its nose. Breathless, Vlad didn't wait for the animal to gather up its senses; turning around and running downstream, he could only pray that it didn't follow. Any time where the circumstances had been different, he would've stayed and made sure that the animal was defeated before fleeing the scene, but he was extremely worried for Daniel. _

_As he ran, he pled over and over under his breath, "Please let him be alright, please let him be alright!"_

_He started calling out his name, searching along the river bank for any sign of the teenager. Finally, after about the hundredth time calling his name, he heard a faint and hoarse response over the torrent of the river. With renewed vigor, he ran until he found the nearly frozen teen, clinging to the tree branch so tight, it looked like he'd never be able to loosen them up enough to let go. He quickly went to his aid, fishing him out of the river._

"Oh... well that's good, then." Danny said, lowering his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck wearily. His muscles ached; most likely the reason was for being too long in the frigid temperatures of the river and clinging to that branch.

"...Are you _sure_ that you're okay?" Vlad asked hesitantly, concerned as he prepared the fish to cook it. The boy's skin was a lot paler than usual; he was still soaked and shivering.

"Uh... yeah, yeah, I'm fine—"

"No, you're not," Vlad said, rummaging in his suit pocket yet again. Drawing out a different bag of pills from it, he pulled out one and offered it to the boy as he continued, "Take this."

Danny cringed away from Vlad's hand, "No, no, no, no, no I am _not _taking _one more _of your crazy pills!"

"These aren't the same kind, Daniel," Vlad said exasperatedly, though on the inside he couldn't help but smirk at the boy's reaction. "They will help prevent any sicknesses from developing... and they have different, less embarrassing side effects." He added as a side note.

After looking from Vlad's face to the pill in his outstretched hand a few times, Danny finally accepted the medicine grudgingly.

"Ah, I think you're a little late on that one, but I guess it could help... germophobe..." Danny said mischievously, and it was clear that his voice was starting to go. Sniffing, he popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it.

"What _are_ the side effects?" the teen asked.

"Drowsiness, grogginess when you wake up... things like that." Vlad listed off as the boy laid down, resting his head on a log. He kept Vlad's jacket wrapped around him since he was still soaked.

"Oh... well, I guess those aren't _that bad_."

Several more minutes passed as Vlad prepared the fish and Danny became more tired and tired. Finally, right before the young halfa fell asleep, he spoke, causing Vlad to jump slightly at the sudden breaking of the silence.

"Vlad?" he asked sleepily and waited for the elder to respond.

"Yes?"

"Thanks..."

* * *

><p><strong>*panting* … okay, number one, I feel sorry for the wolf. I know it was rabid and was attacking Vlad, but when my muses and I came up with this scene, I kind of felt bad. I like animals, and I don't like seeing them get hurt or anything, but I guess it was kinda necessary for the survival of our two favorite half ghosts, right? Just to confirm it, the wolf was scared off. Since it was sick, it would die eventually, so it's not coming back. Number two, yay! Small Danny and Vlad bonding moment at the end! Number three, I also feel very sorry for Danny—first a sprained ankle, then getting confronted by a rabid wolf and falling into a river, and now an illness? *sigh* Although it's <em>absolutely<em> not _my_ fault he's in this mess… :3**

*muses still wrestling each other*

***pant* Guys… please give it up!… It's okay… Danny's okay now…**

Fun Danny: *exits the fray with a black eye* Speak for yourself, dude! You nearly _killed me!_

**And Vlad. Don't forget about Vlad...—I mean, I told you, it wasn't my fault! **

Castor: Yes it is! You're the author!

**_That_ doesn't mean anything…**

*George aims a bludger at Pollux*

**Okay, things have er, just gotten serious…. If you'll excuse me… GEORGE! PUT THE BLUDGER _DOWN_! **


	9. Chapter 9

'**Kay, guys, before I begin, just wanna say thanks for all the great reviews! I really appreciate it!**

George: Hey Gem, Fred and I are going to play a game of Quidditch with Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, okay?

**What? You're leaving? What about the chapter?**

Fred: You'll do just fine on your own!

**Pfft. Fine, go play Quidditch; I hope you guys fall off your brooms! **

Both Weasley twins: We love you too, Gem!

**Okay, just to let you know, this next chapter will be leaving Vlad and Danny's perspective and be mainly about what's going on in Amity Park at the moment. **

**Disclaimer: I own Danny Phantom in my dreams. Oh yeah.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

"_Investigators are baffled as they look into the two missing person's cases of fourteen, almost fifteen-year-old Danny Fenton and Amity Park's own mayor, Mr. Vlad Masters. It is strongly believed that both may have disappeared on the same day, but it isn't known for certain. However, both of their absences were noticed at the same time, for Danny was absent in school and Mr. Masters didn't show up for his scheduled press meeting that day. The local authorities have searched the mayor's mansion and the Fenton household multiple times, but have come up empty-handed every time. There are many unanswered questions about this whole ordeal. _Are _these two disappearances related? Or was it simply a coincidence the two vanished close, if not on, to the same day? However, Mr. Masters is a known family friend of the Fentons, so their disappearances could very well be linked.. Authorities are still on the search for any evidence pertaining to these cases. If anyone has any information on either of these cases, contact the Amity Park Police Department."_

Sam turned off the TV with an emotionless expression. It had been a couple days since she, Jazz, and Tucker investigated Vlad's house and came back dry, and almost a week since Danny and Vlad's disappearance. She still had no idea what had happened to her best friend, but she still thought that Vlad didn't play a good role in whatever did occur. What else would be new?

She stood up from the couch and started to pace back and forth worriedly. Would he be able to get back safely from wherever he was? Did he need her help? Was he okay? All these questions nagged at Sam's mind as she paced around her room.

Since it was a Saturday, there was no school to keep her busy, so she contacted Tucker and went over to Fenton Works to check on how things were over there. She almost wished she hadn't because things there were a complete mess. Jack was trying to comfort Maddie, who was in tears, who was oblivious to the basket case Jazz had become. It was like the Fenton's wedding anniversary all over again except worse!

Jazz, Sam, and Tucker snuck upstairs, not noticed by Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. They entered Danny's room, Sam and Tucker sitting on the bed while Jazz paced around frantically.

The three teenagers paused in silence to pay attention to what Jack and Maddie were saying.

"I-I-I just don't understand!" they heard Maddie wail from downstairs. "H-he wouldn't run away, would he?" she choked on a sob before completely breaking down.

"Of course Danny wouldn't, Mads. That's just what the ghost who kidnapped him _wants _us to think!" Jack tried to reassure her. Sam chuckled bitterly at that. That conclusion was actually true for once. Maddie continued crying.

"Don't worry, Maddie, we'll find him!"

"You think?" she sniffed. Jack responded softer so only Maddie could hear. Their conversation continued on in that tone, so Jazz, Sam, and Tucker turned their attention away from the adults downstairs.

"It doesn't make sense, _nothing about this makes sense! I DON'T LIKE NOT KNOWING THINGS!" _Jazz said, distressed.

Jazz looked down from Sam and Tucker's faces and asked, "Where is he?" It seemed as if it were directed more toward herself, so the other two didn't know whether they should respond or not.

Jazz stayed silent for another minute, thoughtfully rubbing her chin. Finally having had enough of the quietness, Tucker spoke up.

"You know, wherever Danny is, I'm sure he's just fine. And I'm also sure he'll get back to us; he always does, after all!"

Sam smiled sadly, "I hope you're right, Tuck."

A loud noise like metal scraping against metal came from downstairs; the whole house vibrated and made a sudden jerking motion. The three teens were suddenly under the impression that what they were feeling was an earthquake.

Jazz clung to the doorframe as Sam and Tucker dove underneath the bed, but just as soon as they did so, the trembling stopped—just like that. Sam and Tucker crawled out from under the bed as Jazz let go of the doorframe slowly. The three looked at each other for a second with weird expressions before bolting out of the room and downstairs. They all caught a glimpse of Jack and Maddie lying unconscious before the lights flickered on and off. Sam stared up at the light bulbs as they slowly died off, leaving the room in semi-darkness, with only a scented candle on the coffee table to light the living room.

A breeze entered the room, though none of the doors or windows were opened, and blew the candle out, finally engulfing the room in total darkness.

The breeze picked up until it howled, leaving the teens' eyes watering as they looked around them, searching frantically for the source of all this. The temperature was rapidly declining, making the three shudder.

Jazz's eyes darted to the door leading down to the lab, which was now open and creaking in the wind. She ran downstairs as she grabbed one of her mother's ectoguns from the table. The other two followed, but stopped cold in their tracks as they reached the bottom step.

The doors to the Fenton Portal were wrenched off of their hinges and lying several feet in front of the entrance, dented and misshapen.

Tucker whimpered fearfully. Both Jazz and Sam also felt this, but only Tucker was man enough to let it slip out of his mouth. This did not bode well. Some powerful ghost had apparently forced its way into the house. And Danny wasn't here to take care of it. Nice.

As the three gazed around the lab worriedly, they wondered where on earth the ghost that did this was. Why wasn't it attacking them? It had apparently attacked Mr. and Mrs. Fenton.

"Hello," a girl's voice issued suddenly from behind them.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Jazz shrieked and jumped, pulling the trigger of the gun by accident. It shot glowing green bullets forward incessantly. Starting to push all the buttons, she panicked as she tried to make it stop. All the while the ectogun continued its barrage of bullets, which dented the metal walls in front of her.

"HEY! DON'T POINT THAT THING AT US!" Sam yelled over Jazz's screaming as the force of the gun was making it spin all over the place. Jazz finally hit a switch that made it stop.

Panting, Jazz said apologetically, "...Sorry... I panicked..."

Then the group seemed to remember what had made Jazz flip out. Turning around, they saw a ghost that looked not too much older than Jazz; maybe she was around nineteen or twenty, but she was no more than five years older than her—at least, that's what she appeared to be.

The ghost giggled softly, yet a little bit enigmatically, "Oh, I'm sorry for scaring you—I didn't mean to, I swear."

Sam raised an eyebrow at first; this had to have been a mistake: _this _ghost couldn't have done this! She glanced sideways at Tucker, who stared dumbstruck at the ghost. Jazz didn't know how to react—the power was out, her parents were unconscious upstairs, the temperature was so freezing she could see her breath... and this ghost looked harmless at the moment, no matter _how _creepy her laugh had been. Sam and Tucker, however, knew that looks could very well be deceiving—two words: Lunch Lady.

"Er... no problem, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises, via Fenton Thermos!" Jazz said, a little confused at first, but then gaining confidence as she finished. Grinning with poise, Jazz brandished the thermos and held it up for the ghost to see as she got ready to uncap it.

The ghost's calm and friendly smile was abruptly wiped off her face, this time a sneer replacing it. Her friendly manner was gone, no doubt about it.

"Oh, I don't think so, kids. I've been waiting a long time for this and it's going to take a _lot _more than a _soup container _to stop me!" She outstretched her hand and sent a dark purple blast that knocked the thermos out of Jazz's hand. Jazz yelped and rubbed her throbbing fingers gingerly as the Fenton Thermos bounced along the tile floor out of reach.

Yep, definitely a Lunch Lady déjà vu. The only difference was that there was something a little more sinister about this ghost woman. Her sudden mood swing, for one, was nothing short of frightening while the Lunch Lady's was more comical if anything.

The Box Ghost slipped out of a crack in the thermos that had formed when the ghost blasted it.

"HAHAHAHAHA! I, THE BOX GHOST, AM FREE! I HAVE TOLD YOU ONCE, NOW I WILL TELL YOU AGAIN, YOU CANNOT HOLD ME WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THAT CYLINDRICAL TRAP! NOW I, THE BOX GHOST, SHALL—"

The ghost flicked her finger at him and the blast that issued from it sent him phasing through the wall at mach seven.

Sighing, she said, "That pest has been irking me for too long, now. That felt good to finally be able to do something about it."

_Well, at least we have one thing in common... but, then again, everyone hates the Box Ghost._ Sam thought.

After a minute relishing the therapeutic relief she seemed to get from getting rid of the Box Ghost, she shook her head a little and looked at the three teenagers.

"I don't really have time to fight against a couple weak mortal children; every second I spend here is wasting valuable time, giving that brat more time to get back before my plans are fulfilled! I have better things to accomplish rather than destroying you three, no matter how fun the concept might be to me. Farewell." the ghost said, doing a little mock curtsy before floating upwards towards the ceiling, smiling evilly.

Sam processed those words quickly in her mind before making it up. Lunging forward, she jumped upwards and grabbed onto the ghost woman's leg. The woman looked down angrily, protesting the sudden assault. She began kicking at the teenager, but the stubborn girl refused to let go.

"_What do you mean_?"

"What do I mean _by what?_" the ghost asked irately.

"_By when you said, '_every second I spend here is wasting valuable time, giving _that brat _more time to get back'! Who is '_that brat'_?"

The woman smirked, "Hmm, I think I'll let your small mind process it. But, like I said, I have bigger fish to fry than you or anyone else in _this town_, for that matter! Try all the leaders of the globe! Your world and the Ghost Zone are as good as mine for the taking, little girl, and you're foolish if you believe your realm can stand a chance up to me!" And with that, the ghost turned intangible, making Sam lose her grip on her leg and fall to the floor with a thud.

"Oh no, you don't!" Sam yelled, grabbing the Fenton Fisher from one of the lab tables and casting the line up towards the ghost. The line wrapped around her right before she phased through the ceiling, pinioning her arms to her sides.

Growling, the ghost's eyes flashed an even deeper shade of red, "If you know what's good for you, you will release me at once!"

"Oh yeah, right; because letting you go will enable you to take over the world, and that is _oh so good for us!_" Tucker said sardonically.

"I warned you," she snarled, and she blinked twice deliberately.

At first, nothing happened, which gave Sam, Tucker, and Jazz the impression that they were being reprieved. Then, suddenly the temperature sky-rocketed, leaving the three feeling dizzy from the sudden change. Sam's hold loosened on the Fisher, and the ghost yanked the pole from her slackened grip, which enabled her to relax the cords binding her. She slipped out of the line and let the Fenton Fisher clatter to the ground.

She then disappeared in the blink of an eye and reappeared behind Sam silently. Sam stared around bewildered as to where the ghost had gotten to. The ghost slapped her across the face hard and grabbed her arm. The teen grimaced in pain as she felt her arm being literally burned by the ghost's grip. Yanking her arm away from the ghost woman, she gasped when she saw her skin red and blistering right before her eyes.

Tucker snatched Jazz's ectogun away from her and aimed it at the ghost, shooting it several times, but she teleported away from where the fire would hit its mark and reappeared in front of the boy. Grabbing the end of the gun, she slowly bent the metal upwards, making a nice curve in it. Tucker stared horrified at the ectogun and let out a terrified squeak before moving his gaze up to the ghost's face. She smirked darkly, daring him to try something else. The look on her face clearly said that if he did, something very similar to what she did to the gun would happen to him. Tucker paled slightly and dropped the now useless weapon onto the floor and raised his arms up in defeat.

Sam, however, wasn't as easily intimidated. Lunging at her, she tried to punch the ghost woman in the face, but she caught Sam's hand, burned it, and grabbed her by the throat, wrenching her up into the air with a smug expression.

"W-who are you?" Sam choked.

The ghost smiled, a reflection of the timid smile she had on when the three teenagers had first seen her, even though it was slightly tainted with an evil twist, "You can call me Melania for now. But, I'm afraid this is good-bye for the moment, because I'm already running late now because of your petty attack. Don't worry though, you definitely haven't seen the last of me—not by a long shot: in fact, this is only the beginning..."

The ghost called Melania dropped Sam to the ground carelessly and with a laugh, vanished on the spot.

Coughing, Sam stood up immediately and said to Jazz, "How do you activate the Ghost Shield?" If anything, she wanted that ghost to never enter Fenton Works again, except maybe through the Ghost Portal and back into the Ghost Zone... permanently.

Jazz went over to the controls in the corner and pressed one of the many buttons. They heard a large whooshing sound from outside, which confirmed that the shield was activated.

"Danny, you might want to hurry up a little..." Tucker mumbled, looking from the bent ectogun to the two misshapen portal doors lying on the floor with wide eyes.

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><p><strong>Alright, hoped y'all enjoyed the chapter... for me it was kind of a pleasant relief to not hear anything from my muses—don't tell them I said that.<strong>

**Oh, and here's a little fun fact about Melania: While I was writing the second chapter, I was battling on her name since my idea is to name my OCs something that describes their personality. At first, I thought that Melania should merely be a benevolent ghost seeking to teach those two half-ghost dimwits a lesson on cooperating. With that thought, her name was originally Alexandros, which is Greek for 'helper and defender of mankind'. But, I decided that the story needed an overall villain so we could see a little more Danny and Vlad working together ;D! So, since Alexandros frankly didn't suit her role anymore, I decided to rename her Melania, which is Greek for 'dark or clad in black'. And, with the word 'dark' in mind, the idea popped into my head that she should be the daughter of Pariah Dark; thus, her motives and back-story were born! Haha!** **I felt so proud that I thought that up!**

Fred: Wow, _genius_ you are.

**Ah! Where did you come from?**

George: We've been here ever since you started that food for thought lecture on the villain.

**:3 Oh, you heard nothing before that, then?**

Both: Nope

**Good. How did Quidditch go?**

Fred: Harry's team won by one point, *sigh*

**Oh well... Well, until next update, I guess! Don't forget to review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again, people! Just thought it was about time for another update, so here I am. Speaking of which, I'm getting really really _really _scared! I'm usually the type who would have author's block by now, and I don't! Should I be afraid? Well, I guess I'll just… go with the flow?**

**Well, anyways, other than that ominous foreboding feeling that I had to share, I don't have anything else to say besides enjoy! So, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. There; happy?**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

"Daniel?" Vlad called out into the trees. He'd awakened that morning with the teen nowhere in sight.

"_Daniel?_" he shouted a little more insistently.

"Danny, where are you?"

A playful voice replied from above him, "Hold on, cheesehead; I'm just fine!"

Vlad looked upwards in surprise; the boy was perched precariously on one of the higher boughs of a relatively young sycamore tree, and was still climbing by the looks of it. As Danny advanced upwards a few more of the thick branches, Vlad overcame his bewilderment.

"What do you think you're doing?" he shouted up at the teenager, flustered.

Danny looked around him for a moment, as if really pondering the answer before saying matter-of-factly, "Climbing a tree," His voice was hoarse, but that took away none of its tease. Vlad folded his arms, his face still upturned towards the boy.

"…Why?" he asked curiously.

Danny, pulling himself up onto yet another branch, said, "It might be better if we get an overhead view of this place so we can tell what direction we should travel in."

"Oh; I see. And _why _didn't you notify me before you climbed up there?"

"Didn't want to wake you. We've been through this before—you're even more of a jerk _when you're tired!_"

"So I've been told," Vlad replied, rolling his eyes. "But don't come crying to me when you fall out of that tree and crack your skull open!"

Danny ignored him and continued climbing. He wasn't normally much of a tree climber, but that definitely didn't mean he was afraid of heights. Maybe that was due to the fact that he flew frequently and had gotten used to being high up in the air. Still, he went slowly and took his time, seeing as he wouldn't be able to stop himself from falling if his footing slipped. Looking down, Danny noticed he was pretty dang high up: at least fifty feet from the ground. He was almost high enough to see over the rest of the surrounding trees, but still had a few yards to go. He quickly pulled himself up onto the next branch. It swayed slightly as Danny's weight was applied to it; it wasn't as thick as the others, but Danny was sure it was strong enough to support him.

His eyes scanned across the horizon, but all the directions he looked in were forested as far as the eye could see. No signs of the end or of any civilization. The problem was that he couldn't really tell what lay beyond the mountains, since he and Vlad were stuck in the foothills at the moment. His eyebrows creased as he panned the surrounding area again.

But, even though he was worried, Danny took in the beauty of it. If the circumstances hadn't been as pressing, he might have even _wanted _to stay in this place. The tall, purple, and craggy mountains were coated in trees, with large patches of spruce trees intermixed with groups of aspens and beech trees. The mountains standing against the azure sky looked like a painting—literally like a painting. From far off in the distance, the scene had the illusion of brush strokes on canvas; really, that fact only added to the splendor of it all. After Danny's eyes roved toward the west, he blinked, trying to see far off towards the end of the range.

"Um…" he called down to Vlad, who was waiting at the bottom, tapping his toe impatiently, "I… I think I see that the forest starts to thin out over towards the west." Danny pointed in said direction while Vlad sighed angrily.

"We just _came _from that direction!" he said exasperatedly.

Danny didn't reply; instead, after soaking in the scene one more time, he began to slowly make his way back down again. While Vlad was muttering angrily to himself, Danny continued on climbing down at a steady pace, seemingly oblivious to the man's ranting. Then, once he was one fourth of the way from the bottom of the sycamore, Danny turned around to talk to him.

"Vlad, _relax… _we'll be back home soon enough! At least be glad that I saw the end of the forest." _I think. _Danny added mentally.

"Easy for you to say!" Vlad shouted up to the teen. He may have been one fourth from the bottom, but he was still around fifteen to twenty feet high. "You probably think this is a blessing from heaven above that you don't have to attend school!"

Danny chuckled as he lowered himself to stand on another branch, "Well, when you put it _that _way…"

Vlad rolled his eyes again as the teenager went on, "But _easy for me to say? _I've taken the hardest hits here! Is it just me, or haven't _you _also noticed that nothing bad has happened to you yet? How ironic is _that?_"

The billionaire smiled sheepishly, shrugging for effect, "What can I say? Fate favors me, apparently!"

"Yeah, _sure _it does…" _Says the man who's best friend accidentally half-killed him and married the love of his life…_ "Be careful what you say, fruit loop—you might jinx your luck!"

"Is that a _threat, _little badger?" Vlad grinned, raising a smug eyebrow.

"Nope—just a warning. Karma's real, fruit loop, and what goes around comes around sooner or later!" Danny said slyly.

"All right, I'll keep that in mind." Vlad said, his smile not even faltering. Danny smirked back at him as he continued on. When he had lowered himself around five more feet, however, his foot slipped on one of the boughs. Falling down headfirst, Danny cried out in surprise, squeezing his eyes shut, bracing himself to hit the ground.

But the impact he expected didn't come. Slowly, Danny opened his eyes; he was hovering upside down a few feet from the ground. Vlad was staring at him bizarrely, like he was a creature from another planet. After a few moments of floating there, Danny turned himself upright and dropped the rest of the way to the ground. Unbelievable. Could it really be—?

After the two stared at each other peculiarly for a couple minutes in silence, Danny took a deep breath before the white rings appeared around his torso, slowly parting and traveling up his body. His breathing shuddered and became slightly heavier as his dirty tee shirt and jeans turned into the black and white jumpsuit of his ghost form. However, as the rings disappeared, Danny felt a slight dizzy spell. He wobbled somewhat as he put a hand up to his head, but it soon subsided. Looking down at the jumpsuit, he whistled before looking back up at the billionaire. Danny smiled and shrugged smugly.

"Well, what do you know? My powers are back." he stated simply.

Vlad parted his mouth slightly as he sank into thought. If the boy had regained his powers, did that mean he could morph as well? With that hopeful thought, he tried again, but the same stab of pain he felt before kept him from completing the transformation. Moaning in pain, he looked back at the teen.

"Wait just a minute…. How is it that _you_ can morph, yet _I can't_?" Vlad hissed indignantly. It was clear that the teenager was weakened by this action, but he still couldn't quite grasp the concept of how _he_ could manage to maintain his ghost form when _he himself_ couldn't! Vlad was stronger and more experienced—_lots_ more experience—than this boy. It just didn't make sense!

Surprisingly enough for his exhaustion, Danny chuckled mirthfully, "Well, what was is that you said? Oh, yeah! _Oh, what can I say? Fate favors me!_ This is just another example of how much fate favors you over me. Fancy that!" He said in an accurate imitation of the man's pompous and egotistical low voice.

The billionaire frowned, "Maybe because of all your _misfortunes_, your powers were awakened again…. _Maybe_…" Vlad tapped his bottom lip in thought.

Danny scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. Maybe _what_? He jumped to the first conclusion that came to mind as he saw Vlad's eyes rove over to the tree.

"Don't even think about it, Vlad. If I had all those _misfortunes,_ then I didn't get my powers until now for a different reason. _Think about it!_" he said, stepping in between Vlad and the sycamore tree.

Vlad stared at the boy, puzzled for a few moments, then laughed, "Oh, wow! Youthought I meant that I'd climb that ridiculous tree and jump off? What, and break my neck? Honestly, dear boy, don't you know me _at all_?" The man laughed some more, irking the simmering boy. Danny narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, if you're so smart, _what_ did you mean then?"

"Never mind that, Daniel! The thought just occurred to me that since _you _now have your powers back, since you can move quicker, you'll just have to—"

"Nuh-uh, _so not_ happening! I am _so _not going to carry you while flying! You can forget that, because _believe it or not, _I'd rather _walk_! Besides, you would be way too heavy for me." The last part was a little fib, since Danny knew he could at least carry something with the same weight as a purple-back gorilla. That was decent.

"You know, Daniel, you really should stop assuming things. I _was _going to say 'scout the terrain ahead,' but that's not a bad idea! Have you ever considered tutoring?" Vlad said, annoying the teen further. Danny was reminded of the first time he met Technus, who had asked him the same question. He mentally face-palmed himself; he _really_ needed to stop giving villains ideas.

"Forget it." He said in a bored tone.

Danny suddenly felt a wave of nausea; he transformed back to his human form and sat down, blinking sluggishly as he rubbed his head. Apparently his ghost half was still not fully recovered from whatever had short-circuited his powers. He mentally let out a stream of insults to who or whatever shoved them into this middle-of-nowhere wilderness.

Lethargically frowning, Danny lay down as he asked in a disgruntled fashion, "Why is it always me?"

"Because, little badger, life works that way."

"Pfft. Life stinks." Danny pouted.

The sensation of vertigo leaving, Danny realized that he was hungry. He wondered when the last time he had eaten a decent meal was. He couldn't remember, but he definitely took fast food for granted. Oh, what he'd give for a nice… big… juicy Nasty Burger right then!

"What happened to that fish you caught yesterday?" Danny asked in a small voice, peering up at the man from his position lying on the ground.

Vlad smirked, "I saved some especially for you. Granted, it's cold by now, so it'll take a while before it is ready to eat." Danny's stomach roared ravenously in response, and laughing, the man began to spark a fire again.

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><p><strong>Alright, hope you all enjoyed! Things have been uneventful lately, and my muses have seemingly abandoned me at the moment, so like I said before the chappie, I really don't have much else to say! So, you know the drill, click on that blue button below and tell me what you think, yadda, yadda, yadda…<strong>

**Until next time! :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey peoples! Just to let ya know, I _was _planning on updating this yesterday, but I ended up being too busy to, so here I am, updating! Hope your day has been great! I spent most of it reading Lord of the Rings in my spare time; I've gotten to a really good part!**

Gollum: *Muttering angrily under breath* Sssstupid girl, reading about sssssstupid hobbitses destroying my preciousssss….!

**Yes, and I've been getting this sort of crap from Gollum all day. Anyhow, I'd like to give you the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: *sigh* I—don't—own—DP!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Jazz brought her gaze away from the window as she heard a groan come from the couch. She and Sam had been peering through it for the past hour, keeping an eye on how things were outside Fenton Works while Tucker watched Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. So far things were a little too quiet; the sun shone down on the small town of Amity Park, and nobody seemed to realize a powerful ghost was currently loose in the city—children played out in the streets while people walked by.

"Uuuuuugh…" They realized the sound had come from Maddie.

"Mrs. F.?" Tucker asked as Maddie slowly came to. She groggily rubbed the goose-egg on the back of her head as she struggled to sit up.

"Wha… What happened?" she asked slowly and languidly, "The last thing I remember is the house shaking and then everything… went black…" Sam, Jazz, and Tucker looked at each other before turning their attention back to Mrs. Fenton.

She grimaced as she touched the swelling bump on her head as Sam said, "It was a ghost attack, Mrs. Fenton. It's out of the house right now, and the shield's up, but we don't know _exactly _what it's up to yet."

"Did somebody say 'ghost attack'?" Jack mumbled suddenly, and it became apparent to everybody that those words had made him snap out of unconsciousness. He sat up as well, but a sudden sensation of vertigo made him fall back down.

Maddie, however, seemed unaware of her husband at the moment, and instead asked urgently, "Where? Where did it go?"

"We don't know," Tucker said.

"Well, has it done anything?"

"We don't know that either." Tucker said, shaking his head vigorously.

Maddie rolled her eyes at the teenager before striding over to the window. She peered out of it with narrowed eyes and watched the horizon. Jack sat up again and stood quickly, causing him to feel dizzy again.

"We'll need to go out and hunt that spook down immediately, then!" Jack declared, wobbling on his legs as he slowly overcame his dizziness.

"Er, Jack, I don't think a search will be necessary," Maddie shook her head slowly. Jack and the other three looked quizzically at her as she elaborated, "She's right outside the shield." Maddie pointed a gloved finger outside the window.

Jack, Jazz, Sam, and Tucker rushed over to stand by Maddie to confirm with their own eyes that what she said was true. Sure enough, they saw that the sky had gone from blue to a dark grayish-green shade in the few minutes they had taken their eyes off of the scene outside. The wind picked up as parents ushered their children inside. _Now, _of course, whether or not they realized that this storm was supernaturally caused, they knew that these winds had at _least _the same force as a hurricane did, if not more.

"Where is the ghost?" Jack asked.

"I don't know…. She was just _there _not a moment ago! Maybe she teleported…?" Maddie wondered as she faintly gestured up at the sky, now churning with dark clouds as the wind made the house groan and creak.

Mr. and Mrs. Fenton snatched up their ghost-hunting equipment before making a beeline to the door. Sam, Jazz, and Tucker followed nervously as they shut the door behind them. Jack and Maddie panned the scene outside the dome, hefting up large ectoweapons as they searched for the ghost that was the cause of this storm. The wind whipped at them, almost powerful enough to knock the five of them off of their feet. So far, no rain was falling, but the clouds overhead threatened to. Green lightning flashed and struck the ground nearby, deafening thunder causing the group to cover their ears in an attempt to drown out the noise as much as would be allowed. The action, however, didn't work as well as they'd hoped; they closed their eyes and gritted their teeth as the sound passed. Uncovering her ears, Sam glared up at the agitated clouds, silently daring Melania to show herself. As if the ghost had read her mind, she appeared up in the air, a teasing smirk on her lips. Waving playfully, Melania laughed as Danny's parents rushed outside the green dome that surrounded Fenton Works, fuming and furious.

"Get ready to be ripped apart molecule by molecule, ghost girl!" Jack bellowed, in the way only Jack Fenton could as he aimed the large gun at Melania. The specter feigned a look of terror, gasping.

"Oh no, it's _Jack Fenton, _the most incompetent ghost hunter the world has ever seen! Whatever shall I do?" she mocked, wide-eyed and trembling from where she floated.

"Yeah, that's right—you'd _better_ be scared spook!" Jack yelled, oblivious to the sarcasm and insult Melania had conveyed. As he shot a blast at the ghost girl, she blinked and disappeared in a swirl of reddish-purple energy, reappearing behind the man and planting her right heel in the small of his back. Jack grunted in pain and fell forward. She was stronger than she looked. Maddie, launching a glowing green net onto the ghost, yelled at her venomously.

"Nobody attacks my husband and gets away with it, you putrid ghost!"

"Well, I guess we'll see about that..." the ghost replied forebodingly.

Melania, surprisingly enough, made no effort to phase through the net. As Maddie, held the net launcher firmly in her hand and began reeling the captive ghost in. Curling herself up into a ball, she chuckled darkly before blinking deliberately. Violet energy emanated from her and traveled up the net quickly. The energy was conducted through the launcher and rapidly approached Maddie's hands. Once it got in contact with her hands, the energy engulfed her body. Maddie cried out in pain and let go of the launcher, falling to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Jack, now rubbing his bruised spine, leapt up and rushed towards her.

"Maddie!" he hollered.

The ghost girl phased through the net with ease and floated back up into the air, watching triumphantly as Jack picked up his comatose wife, getting ready to attack again. Sam ran out of the dome as well as Jazz and Tucker protested. She raised an ectogun and aimed at the ghost, who had her back turned to the teenage girl, hands now glowing with a dark indigo shade of energy, slowly building up to launch a blow to Mr. Fenton's head. Charging up the gun, she pulled the trigger and shot at the unaware specter. The blow nailed Melania in the back, knocking her upwards as she cried out in surprise and pain. Jack took advantage of the moment and dashed with Maddie in his arms back to the safety of the dome as the ghost gathered her senses about her again. She hissed as she saw that everyone had gotten back under the shield again. Kicking at it in vain, Melania then smirked, knowing that they were too cowardly to face her. Turning away, she began to fly off, away from the town to continue her conquest of the human realm.

She smiled and chuckled knowingly as she departed, and her way wasn't barred, however, until she reached the outskirts of Amity Park when she suddenly collided with a barrier. Melania shook her head slightly, backing up to get a better look at what had obstructed her path; she scowled as she saw a green translucent shield a couple feet in front of her. She turned back to face the town, eyes glinting red with malice as they landed on Fenton Works. _How dare they? _she thought venomously as she realized that Danny Phantom's family and friends must have extended the ghost shield so it covered the entire town, trapping her in the process.

Perhaps that Goth girl had suggested it. Melania seethed with fury at the very thought of that pest. She was disliking Phantom's little girlfriend more and more with each passing minute, it seemed.

Just as these angry thoughts ended, she smirked. Well, if they _insisted _that she stay in the confines of that tedious shield, Melania would certainly oblige. What were they thinking when they extended the shield? Did they think that by keeping her from reaching the outside world, her plans would be foiled? All they were accomplishing by doing this was prolonging the inevitable, for she would just terrorize the small town until they had no choice _but _to release her. She would make those pitiful humans, especially the Goth girl, rue the day they ever crossed Melania Dark.

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><p>"Danny! Wait up!" Tucker yelled, desperately trying to catch up to the others. Danny and Sam were leisurely strolling down the sidewalk from school. They paused and patiently waited for Tuck to catch up.<p>

Panting as he finally arrived, Tucker asked, "So, did ya get the homework Lancer assigned us?"

Danny sighed, "You know me, Tuck. I stayed up late last night catching ghosts and dozed off in the middle of the lesson explaining how to do it..." Tucker clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, shaking his head sorrowfully.

"Ah, don't worry, Danny. I'll explain it to you later; it's actually pretty easy." Sam reassured him.

"_Sure it is..."_ Danny groaned.

All of a sudden a cold draft stole into the scene, and Sam and Tucker disappeared. The scene went black, and Danny looked around him fearfully, wondering what had happened. He could hardly see two feet in front of him. Then, a specter slowly appeared in front of him, the one and only ghost that Danny never ever wanted to see _or _think about again. He recognized his face right on the bat, the red eyes, the flaming white hair and slightly blue skin.

"Hello, Danny." His twenty-four-old self said complacently, pacing around the boy slowly but surely.

Danny's throat ran dry, "I-I thought y-you were—How did you escape?"

His alternate self chuckled dryly, "Danny, Danny, Danny... I _haven't_ escaped. I'm still in Clockwork's tower."

"B-but then... _how _are y—"

"Oh, don't worry about that—it doesn't even matter. Your loved ones might be safe from me physically at the time being, but _you, _my friend..." he laughed in the same manner. "Even though it is more likely than not, even if you don't turn into me—"

"Y-you-you're wrong—I-I'll never turn into you—I—I promised them!" Danny cut across himself, stuttering wide-eyed.

Phantom continued as if the interruption hadn't even happened, "Even if, heaven forbid, I _never _escape from Clockwork's keep... I will always be in your mind, where you can _never escape me_." He ended in a quiet tone, making Danny shudder. Then, picking him up, he tossed the boy hard against the wall. Danny sat up, dazed as Phantom approached him quickly, adding one swift punch to Danny's jaw. Danny chuckled bitterly as he realized he was being beaten up by himself; _now _he'd seen everything.

His older self grinned at the frightened boy, and in one fluid movement picked up the teen by the collar of his shirt as easily as if he were the weight of a feather. Once the boy was up to eye-level, he exchanged the grip on his shirt for his neck, starting to cut off his air supply. As if from far off, Danny heard the echoing screams of his friends and family—okay, Lancer as well, the scene of the explosion replaying in his head over and over again.

Choking and spluttering, Danny muttered, "T-this isn't real... It's ju-just a dream..."

"It might be just a dream, Danny, but it certainly _feels _real, doesn't it?"

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><p>Danny Fenton jolted awake with a start, his eyes snapping wide open. He breathed heavily for a few moments while Vlad turned his gaze from the stars to the teenager quickly, startled. After the shock of the dream wore off, Danny inwardly wilted; he thought those dreams had stopped. It had been the worst in the first few weeks after he barely evaded that timeline—he hardly got a good night's rest for a really long time. He had been doing so well lately, too, had even gone for a month without even <em>thinking <em>about the incident, bar the time he had worried about his tongue slipping in front of Vlad—why the sudden change in his stroke of luck?

"What happened, Daniel?" Vlad asked slowly, concern etched into his face.

"Um, er, bad dream—that's all." Danny said, smiling and pretending it truly was nothing.

"What about?" Vlad asked, and Danny sighed as he realized the man wasn't going to let it go until he said something. He thought for a moment about how it would be worded best.

"Just... my past—" _and future_, "coming back to haunt me..." Vlad stared at him expectantly. Danny sort of elaborated after a few moments, "I, er, once made a big mistake, and, um, i-it sort of cost me everything I had _and_ didn't have, and... well, I only just barely avoided it becoming permanent, and it still, er, nags at me from time to time... I don't, er, really feel like... talking about it... But, it doesn't really matter, since it wasn't permanent and everything's hunky-dory now, right?" Danny ended in a joking tone.

Vlad understood that it was something serious because he witnessed the boy thrashing in his sleep. He could also understand that something that traumatizing would be a little private to the teenager. He respected that. Vlad sighed.

"I know exactly how you feel... there are some things that happened to me that I _still _shudder to think about!" he said in the same teasing tone as the younger hybrid.

"Oh, like the _backwash incident_?" Danny asked slyly, remembering the mention of one such incident at the Colorado chalet the previous year.

"_Oh, _don't even_ mention _that to me_!"_ Vlad groaned, putting a hand up to his face as he laid back down, turning his gaze back to the night sky. Danny did likewise and laid down as well.

"Was it really that bad?" Danny asked mischievously.

"Oh, _yes._"

This time Danny stared at him expectantly, smiling. Vlad returned the look with a glance, shaking his head and whistling lowly. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, it was during our college days before the accident with the ghost portal... Your father and I were renting an apartment close by to the campus, and in order to pay for it, we both needed to get part-time jobs. It was the day I had my interview that it happened...

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><p><em>Two young men waited outside the doors to the office of the manager, the shorter and slimmer of the two biting his lip nervously while the other tried to calm him down.<em>

"_Come on, V-Man, you'll do _just fine_. That job's as good as yours—" Jack said enthusiastically, punching his arm playfully. Vlad winced at how much force his friend had accidentally exerted, massaging his arm gingerly. Jack looked at him apologetically._

"_I don't know if I can do this... Is it just me, or has every single cashier I passed looked at me funny? Do they know something I don't about the manager?"_

"_Oh, don't be paranoid, Vladdie, I'm sure your soon-to-be boss isn't all that bad—"_

"I'm serious, Jack!_ They keep looking at me like they're glad not to be me! Maybe the grocery store across the street has a better environment..." Vlad hunched over, biting his fingernails._

_Jack shook his head, saying, "Oh, no you don't—you're not backing out of this one. Look, I'll just be outside the door, waiting for you. It looks like the manager's ready to see ya now, Vlad!"_

_Vlad eyed the tall intimidating man timidly, shrinking slightly, "I think my throat's dried up, Jack..."_

"_Okay, take this in with ya then." Jack shoved a bottle of water into Vlad's hand before giving him a slight push towards the door. As Vlad entered with a sheepish smile, his hand tightened around the plastic bottle, threatening to crush it in his grasp as he took a seat. The interview itself wasn't too terrible. In fact, up until the end, everything went perfectly and he practically had it in the bag, that is, until he got up to leave._

"_Alright, thank you, sir!"_

_The two shook hands, as Vlad chuckled nervously, but a little more confidently than when he had entered. He unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and took a sip, but stopped cold when he tasted... backwash. Gagging, he spluttered and spit out the drink. Coughing, he looked back up horrified at the manager, who looked flabbergasted. He slowly wiped the liquid off of his face, and then looked murderously at the young man. Needless to say, it didn't turn out well. _

* * *

><p>Danny stared sideways at Vlad for a few minutes silently, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, his vacant appearance morphed into a grin and he burst out laughing.<p>

"Haha—oh, boy...! You were right when you said it was a horrible experience... hahaha!"

"Yes... yes, it was..." Vlad shook his head and rolled his eyes yet again.

They both stargazed and exchanged tales until both had fallen asleep.

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><p><strong>Hey, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I don't really know if the store manager interviews you or not when you want a job there, but that's sort of what I guess! You're free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never really had a job at a grocery store, so I wouldn't know :3. Anyways, you know what I expect of you all—review and let me know what ya think... <em>or else<em>. I'm just kidding, hehe! **

**In the meantime, I'll be working on the next chappie! See ya!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, I've decided to try updating quicker than the last time, due to several requests :D I'm still surprised that my story is racking in as many readers as it is! I never really expected it to even be _this _successful at only eleven (now twelve) chapters, so it's a pleasant surprise for me! Thanks for sticking with it so far!**

Pollux: Okay, enough talking, Gem, get on with the story.

**Sheesh, and I haven't even been talking that long! Well, fine, here's chapter 12!**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Danny Phantom, even though me loves the show!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

"Well, what do you see, Daniel?" Vlad called up to the teen, who was out of the man's line of sight. After the boy didn't reply, Vlad asked, "Are we still heading in the right direction?" Vlad Masters heard a muffled response from far above.

"What?" he shouted.

The teenager called his answer louder this time, "_I said, yes!"_

"Hw far are we from the end of the woods?" Vlad asked, irritated. It felt so humiliating to rely on that little brat's powers to get out of there. If only he had _his _back, he wouldn't _need _to depend on the boy. His pride was bruised, and Danny was aware of the fact.

Danny chuckled from high above Vlad, replying smugly, "Eeeeeeh… I'd say maybe… twenty to thirty miles… I think." The man sighed from far below while Danny stayed up above the canopy of leaves to enjoy the scenery again for. It was another beautiful morning, and it seemed like it was even more beautiful at dawn when the sun tinged the eastern skies pink and orange. Songbirds were warbling and the tapping of a woodpecker in the distance could be heard.

Danny sighed, "Ah, V-Man, if only you could be up here to see this! It's so gorgeous!" He grinned and glanced through the branches to the forest floor.

"How could you be _admiring the scenery_ at a time like _this_?" Vlad shouted irately.

"Ya know, cheesehead, life would be _soooo _much easier for you if you learned to appreciate the _simple _things in life instead of dwelling on the bad stuff!" the teen joked.

"There is absolutely _nothing _worth appreciating about our situation, Daniel!"

"Yeah, yeah, the glass is half empty, blah, blah, blah…" Danny said in an amused and teasing tone, slowly lowering himself through the leaves in ghost form, feeling slightly drained of energy. He let gravity take him down the rest of the way to the ground once he could safely do so without hurting himself. _Dang it! _When would his powers fully recover? Danny sighed as he reverted back to his human half.

Vlad folded his arms and looked at the boy with concern; if being in the for only _that _long depleted Danny's energy, something was even more wrong than they had thought—even though it still slightly made the man feel better to know that the teenager was still recuperating from whatever had messed up their ghost halves. He still didn't have _his _powers back, and was getting concerned about how much longer he would have to wait to regain them. It seemed that Daniel's powers were jolted awake from the repeated bursts of adrenaline, but Vlad didn't want to risk killing _himself _as well just to get them back. He would just simply wait until other options arose... that didn't require him jumping out of a tree. Danny, brushing off some excess dust from one of his pant legs, straightened up and walked past Vlad, who was still musing on these thoughts.

"Well, I guess the sooner we get moving, the sooner we reach the end of this forest, right?" he asked, clapping his hands together before starting off into the trees, blazing his own trail. Vlad followed, stepping awkwardly through the bushes after Danny. He winced as yet _another_ thorn snagged on his clothing and made yet _another _tear.

Sighing vehemently, Vlad commented, "My best suit, in tatters…"

"Yeah, well, be thankful it isn't _your skin, _in tatters!" Danny laughed, earning an annoyed look from Vlad.

"Yes, I guess you're right, considering the wolf..." Vlad conceded.

The two hiked over the rough terrain, picking their way slowly through the vegetation as the day wore on. By the time noon came around, Vlad and Danny hadn't made much progress from the location they had been at the beginning of the day. At most, they had advanced two or three more miles, walking along the side of the river against the direction the water was flowing in. They eventually arrived at the lake they had seen a couple days previously, but they kept on walking. A couple more hours wore on slowly as the hybrids walked. When it was around three o'clock in the afternoon, Danny halted suddenly. Vlad bumped into the boy by accident, having been trailing too close behind him at the time.

"Wait a second..." Danny said warily, looking up at the sun's position in the sky. He knew it was some time after noon, at least a couple of hours.

"I think we're going in the wrong direction now." He explained to Vlad, who was confused. Their intended direction was westward, and the sun, instead of being in front of them, was more towards their left.

"Really." Vlad said faintly, more like a statement than anything else. The man was exhausted, and in more ways than one. Not only was he tired physically from the day's endless marching, lack of a decent meal, and good night's rest, he was also tired of being stranded in this place. As if it wasn't obvious enough, he had better things to do than wandering in the wilderness, going on the word of a teenager who was most likely getting them more lost than they already were! And just by that last comment by Danny, it only made his temper rise even more. His patience was wearing thin, now.

Danny, who was of course just as irritated as Vlad, couldn't believe their luck either. They hadn't found anything to eat since they came across that blackberry bush by the river, and the two of them were absolutely starving. He wanted to reach the end of that forest now more than ever, being just as sick, if not more than Vlad, of the circumstances. After pondering what direction they were currently heading in, he concluded that they had veered north.

"We need to be going… _that _way." He pointed towards their left.

"But… that would mean leaving the river." Vlad pointed out, gesturing toward their only source of water like it would be suicide to leave its side—which would, frankly, be quite true. _They _didn't know if they would come across any more rivers or streams any time soon, but if they continued following this river, it might make them take even longer to reach the end of the forest. The river, instead of going west, continued on in a northern direction, and who was to say that it stayed in that direction for the rest of the range? All the major mountain ranges in North America generally ran north to south, so they could probably conclude that either going west or east was the answer, no matter how painful the concept seemed—not that they even knew if they were in North America or not.

"Well, we _need _to leave it, f we want to get back to Amity Park sooner," Danny sighed bitterly, "You'd better get your fill of water, while you still can." Danny stooped beside the river, cupped his hands, lowered them down into the water, and drew out a handful of the liquid. It seemed to be much cleaner than the rapids before, most likely because it was flowing a lot slower than the other, so it didn't pick up nearly as much dirt. But, then again, he heard that even seemingly clear water from streams or rivers could make you sick, too, but he was frankly too thirsty at the moment to really care. He eagerly drank from it until his thirst was quenched. It also seemed that Vlad's pride had lowered to the same level as Danny's finally, in this respect, because he too drank from it. After splashing some water on his face and the back of his neck to rinse away the sweat, Danny stood and waited for Vlad. Once he finished, the two of them reluctantly turned their backs on the river and began hiking westward again.

The terrain became even rougher than it was by the river, forcing them to take detours every once in a while if it was necessary. The way that they took sloped upwards steeply, making it really difficult to climb. In fact, the two halfas were more often than not using their hands to aid them in scaling uphill. The soil underneath their feet was also fairly loose, so their feet frequently slipped and slid out from beneath them. This happening often, their already dirty clothes were made even filthier—not that they really minded anymore. Dirt a little more or less, it didn't really make much of a difference anymore.

It was very strenuous and exhausting work, but just when Danny was sure he couldn't go one more step uphill, the ground leveled out and became more solid since vegetation (aka, more bushes) was holding it down once again. Then, only a short time after that, a faint sound could be heard.

"Hallelujah…" Vlad muttered as he recognized the noise as flowing water gain. He was already thirsty again, and so was Danny. However, he was pleasantly surprised at having running to water that soon after leaving it. Perhaps it was the _same _river and it looped around, turning southwards? But, neither Danny nor Vlad questioned the sound more than that fleeting thought; they ran towards it, realizing it was coming from in front of them, so they weren't leaving their general path. They eventually arrived at the source.

The two were faced with several problems that Danny and Vlad realized the split second that they first laid eyes on the river. One, it was in their way. Two, the water was flowing too fast to wade across (which probably meant that it _was _indeed the same river they had been following before), and three—it was too wide to swim across. True, they could just continue on by the river and hope that it turned so they could get back on track again, but they couldn't be certain that it would change paths soon enough, if even at all.

Both Danny and Vlad stared silently as the water loudly rushed by.

Slowly, Danny turned to Vlad, "…Well, _this stinks…_"

"You could say that again! How in the blazes are we supposed to cross?" Vlad gestured at the obstacle in their path, frustrated.

But, before giving any more thought on how to solve this problem, Danny strode over to the river and crouched beside the flowing water. Vlad scowled at Danny as the teenager drank from it.

"What, Vlad? I'm thirsty!" Danny said defensively as he looked up, noticing the man's reproving stare.

"Never mind. I can't believe that out of all people to be stranded with in the middle of nowhere, I get the brat with a short attention span!"

Well, Danny could see the obvious way across the river. He bit one of his fingernails, trying to figure out if he felt up to carrying the weight of a fully-grown man. He immediately regretted the action, spitting out dirt from his mouth. Danny had almost forgotten that the underneath his fingernails were filthy from all the time using his hands to climb.

"Hmm, well the brat with the short attention span has a plan, if you can be polite enough to listen to it!" Danny said.

"Really?" Vlad asked, annoyance gone, replaced with curiosity.

"I think I might be strong enough to carry you across!" Danny said slowly, a little uncertainly though. Vlad stared critically at the boy for a few minutes silently, making the teen feel uncomfortable.

"If you drop me over that river, so help me… _I will kill the half of you that still lives_…!" Vlad hissed, finally responding as he begrudgingly lifted his arms.

Danny floated up, chuckling as he took a hold under each of the man's arms. Picking him up, the teenager groaned; yep, he _definitely_ didn't have his full strength returned yet.

As quickly as he could, he flew over the river, eager to relieve himself of the burden. He dropped Vlad unceremoniously to the earthy ground on the other side, crashing a few yards farther than the man. Vlad grunted as he stood up, brushing more soil off of his suit.

"Uuugh… you weigh _a ton_…!" Danny moaned, reverting back to Fenton. Vlad frowned at the subdued teenager.

"_Thank you_, Daniel," Vlad called over his shoulder curtly as he began walking ahead. Danny stood and caught up to the man.

"Yeah, that's right—you'd better be thankful, because I hope you know that I could've just left you and gone on ahead without you... not that I'm that kind of a person!" Danny grinned, examining his filthy fingernails modestly.

"Exactly, and if you _did _or _do _leave me, I will see to it that you sincerely regret that decision. Got that, Daniel?" Vlad replied with narrowed eyes.

Danny shook his head sorrowfully as he made a _tsk_-ing sound, "My, my, such mighty words... I wonder how you'd plan on backing them up when your powers still haven't recovered? In any normal situation, you might be able to beat me, but this time _I _have the upper hand, Vlad. You do realize that, right?"

Vlad laughed sardonically, "You wouldn't have the guts! You know as well as I do that you're too _righteous _to stoop low enough and attack someone who couldn't fight back!" He sneered.

"How do _you _know what I would or wouldn't do?" Danny pointed accusingly at Vlad, a green blast of energy accidentally coming from his finger.

The blast hit Vlad on the right shoulder, making him lose his balance and fall backwards onto the forest floor. Danny peered sheepishly down at his pointed finger, surprised as much as Vlad was that it had happened.

"_Why you little brat! _What was _that _for?" Vlad shouted angrily, standing back up as he rubbed his aching shoulder.

"Hehe… oops? Sorry, I didn't mean to do that…!"

"Sure you didn't, you little rat…" Vlad growled as the two continued on in their westward direction.

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><p>Castor: Okay, people, hope you enjoyed this chappie! You all know what to do now!<p>

Pollux: Yeah, go on and succumb to the urge to click on the review button! Come on, you know you want to!

**Alright, until next time, then!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the delay, folks! I know that this update took a little longer than normal, but school and homework got in the way of working on this chapter. I have to do this presentation for the school's Math Fair, and it's due in early March, so I've gotta get down on it and finish it quick! **

Fun Danny: Ah, man, that stinks! Homework and school projects are my enemies, dude!

**Ah, then you'll _really _think that stinks.**

Fun Danny: Why?

**Because I'm forcing you to help me with it later.**

Fun Danny: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

**Bwahahahaha...! XD**

**So, before this chapter starts, I'd like to let you know if you don't already that I've redone the last part of chapter 12, since I wasn't really in the fittest frame of mind when I wrote it—I was extremely tired and whenever I'm tired, I tend to make mistakes. In fact, I do it quite often and I was a little surprised it hasn't happened before now. The original had several flaws, so being an extreme perfectionist, I decided to fix it. I'd like to give credit to Pearl though, for helping point me in the right direction! Only one scene in it has been changed, but just in case, you might want to check it out before reading this one.**

**Also, I'd really love to thank all the other reviewers and their comments again! I absolutely love it when you give me your thoughts and opinions! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter as well!**

**And voila, here is chapter 13!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

"_Psst! Sam!" _Tucker whispered, crouched behind a hedge. It was just barely a quarter until ten at night and it was pitch dark. Only a tiny sliver of the moon's light was showing, along with a couple stars dotting the sky, leaving only the dimly glowing green shield to light the streets. The electricity was on the fritz due to Melania's presence in the city, so all of the streetlamps were either flickering feebly or had gone out. Apparently something about her made the power go nuts, but Team Phantom could only guess it was simply in her power to do these kinds of things. So, the only things they could currently use to light their way had to be battery-powered. However, none of the three teenagers wandering the streets that night dared to pull out flashlights, since it might have drawn the ghost's attention to them. They didn't want this because they wanted to have the element of surprise; if they spotted Melania before she spotted them, it would give them a better chance of accomplishing what they were planning to do.

"_Sam!_" he whispered a little louder.

"_Ssh!" _Sam harshly hissed into her pair of Fenton Phones from the other side of the street, behind another bush.

Sam hesitantly looked around for any signs of the ghost that they were searching for. They had trapped her inside the city in the hopes that they would get another shot at incarcerating her. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz realized it was a very good possibility that Melania had something to do with Danny's disappearance. After all, what a coincidence it would be that Danny just so happened to vanish and a powerful ghost attacked practically the next day!

"Oh… sorry… I thought that the Phones weren't working when you didn't answer," Tucker sheepishly apologized into the Fenton Phones.

"No, I just wasn't answering because I was looking for Melania." Sam replied warily, staring up into the sky. Tucker protested in an offended tone as Sam army-crawled behind the hedgerow. "Look, instead of getting upset over something as dumb as that, let's catch this ghost, okay? You were saying…?"

"Still no sign of her and the Fenton Finder's not picking up _anything_." He said, smacking the contraption a couple times to see if it wasn't working.

"Hmm…" Sam mused, "She must be too far away for it to pick her up…. Are you sure it's working? You know that most of these inventions tend to… _you know…_"

"Not work? I don't know, I haven't even heard a single _sound_ from it so it's hard to tell at the moment. Have you heard anything from Jazz yet?" Tucker asked. They had all split up again in an attempt to find the ghost faster, each going down their own street. Both Sam's and Tucker's streets had led to the same one they were currently on, except the two ended up on opposite sides of the road. However, Jazz was still on her own.

"Umm… no. I guess I'll check in with her," Sam said into the Fenton Phones before talking into them again, this time addressing Jazz.

"Jazz? Are you there?"

Some static issued from the Phones before Jazz's garbled voice came out choppily. Sam struggled to comprehend what the girl on the other end was trying to convey, but she managed to pick out words and phrases that sounded something like this, "Yeah, Sam, I'm here. And so far everything over here is quiet. There's not even a _trace _of her."

Sam frowned, "Where _is _she? Where could she have gotten to without leaving the shield? I'm pretty sure we've scoured _the whole city_ by now!" She sighed, frustrated as she looked around once again. Now certain that the ghost was indeed nowhere to be seen, she forced her way through the hedge and dashed across the street as light-footed as her combat boots would allow. She hopped onto the sidewalk and into the hedge Tucker was crouched behind. Tucker grabbed onto her arm and helped pull her through as he heard the leaves rustling, the Goth struggling to make it to the other side. Once she fully emerged from the hedge, she composed herself and sat up on the backs of her heels, spitting a couple leaves out of her mouth that she had almost accidentally swallowed.

Brushing and picking off the leaves and twigs that had caught in her hair, Sam sighed angrily, "Well, Jazz hasn't gotten anything either. Let me see the Finder, Tucker." Tucker obliged, handing over the seemingly useless device. Sam shook it, pressed the on and off button a couple of times, and weighed it in her hands, trying to diagnose the problem with it. It felt a little light for what it should've been, she realized. One eyebrow raised at this revelation, she flipped the machine over and opened the back of it. "Tucker, you _do realize, _don't you, that this has _no batteries, right?_" she asked exasperatedly in a low and annoyed tone.

"...Oops..." he shrugged.

"And here I thought _you _were the techno-geek." Sam rolled her eyes before talking once again into the Fenton Phones.

"Jazz, Tucker and I are going back to Fenton Works to get some batteries. Apparently the Fenton Finder didn't have any, so..." Sam trailed off as Jazz interrupted feverishly.

"Sam... ghost... by the N-Nasty B... AAAAAAAAH!" Static still cut through the message, but Sam could still tell that at first, Jazz was trying to be calm and rational about whatever was happening, but was cut off as a bright flash of lightning struck close by. The resulting thunder resonated loudly and bounced off of the ghost shield, echoing as the two teenagers covered their ears in another attempt at blocking out the noise. The ground started trembling, though Sam and Tucker could still maintain their balance. However, when the trembling turned into severe jerking, the two teens fell backwards from their kneeling positions. After the shock of what was occurring had worn off, the two steeled themselves and crawled slowly through the hedge back to the street.

Cracks were now forming in the pavement as the earth shook. A couple of the streetlamps lining the street teetered precariously before toppling over, hitting the street with a clang. Sam shoved Tucker out of the way just in time as one of them fell forwards and hit the ground where he had been crouching just a second before. The asphalt cracked where the impact had been made, leaving Tucker staring wide-eyed at the sight.

"And to think that could've been _you..._" Sam jested, smirking a little in spite of the earthquake going on around them. Tucker shuddered, nodding vigorously. Sam's smile abruptly wiped off of her face.

"Come on, Jazz needs our help." she said, and the two slowly stood, using the hedge as their support as the ground continued shaking. Hunched over, they hurried as quickly as possible over toward the Nasty Burger. Sam didn't quite catch where Jazz said that the ghost was attacking, but she assumed that it was the Nasty Burger, because it was the only place in Amity Park with the word 'Nasty' in it that she knew of! As they neared the place, Sam and Tucker pulled out a few of the weapons that they had brought with them, including the thermos.

Off in the distance they heard Jazz scream over the low rumbling of the earth beneath them. Hurrying around the corner, the Nasty Burger came into view. They could see Jazz getting up shakily and running away from the building, panicking as a green bolt of lightning slashed jaggedly through the air from the swirling clouds above, missing its target. As she spotted the other two, she paused for just a fraction of a second—which was a mistake. The next lightning bolt zapped the ground near Jazz's feet, narrowly missing its mark again, yet still blasting her to the ground. She landed facedown on the pavement and skidded several yards down the sidewalk, a strangled cry of pain ripping from her throat. Melania chuckled from above as Sam and Tucker ran to Jazz's aid.

The ghost girl smugly folded her arms, watching amused as the other two teens bent down beside their injured comrade. Melania allowed the shaking of the ground to lessen, since it was interfering with her quarry. They could hardly even move around with all the shaking, which took away from the fun of toying with them. Floating in an almost leisurely way, she circled around them overhead as Sam glared daggers up at her. Tucker helped Jazz onto her hands and knees, the girl hissing in pain from the bad case of road rash she had gotten on her skin. She bled from several scrapes that oozed, several big chunks of gravel embedded in her wounds.

"Did you miss me?" Melania asked, eyebrows raised complacently.

"_Hardly!_" Sam laughed mirthlessly, cocking an ectogun and aiming it at the ghost, who laughed in return.

"_Foolish_ girl, when will you learn to pick your fights more wisely? _Surely_ you know that you can't beat me?" With that said, she vanished as the wind picked up once again.

_Where did she—? _Sam wondered before she suddenly doubled over in pain, gasping as the breath was knocked out of her. She had felt something like a fist planting itself into her stomach, but no one was there. She shot at the air in front of her in an attempt to hit the invisible ghost. However, it failed to hit its mark, seeing as another blow hit the side of her face and then her back, making her fall down, dazed. Melania reappeared, her fangs revealed in a wide smile as she held her arms behind her back. Tucker shot at the ghost girl, who wasn't expecting the boy to fire at her, and successfully nailed her. Melania cried out in surprise as she was blasted back several yards.

Sam wiped some blood from her bottom lip and took advantage of the moment. Shooting her gun, she managed to hit the ghost several more times before she teleported away from that spot, away from the line of fire. Melania reappeared higher in the air, looking really flustered. Her cheeks a little flushed, and her pride a little damaged, Melania inwardly cursed herself for being off guard and letting a mere child fit in as many blows as she did. But then, she smiled; it was a lucky shot—nothing more, nothing less. She would make sure she wouldn't slip up again in the future so nothing like that ever happened again.

Sam, Jazz, and Tucker, meanwhile, smirked triumphantly at the ghost for a second, getting ready to give her a one-way ticket to Thermos-land, but the three's facial expressions slowly faded from gloating to one of bewilderment. Something about this wasn't right. Melania was just floating their, one arm folded across her chest, one propping up her head, her hand cupped around her chin as her index finger tapped it thoughtfully. She seemed to have a pensive expression, as if she were pondering something. Something about that seemed a bit off to the three teenagers, since the least they expected out of this ghost was a struggle before being sucked into the Fenton Thermos. Even the _Box Ghost _and all like ghosts tried to put up a fight before being captured! What was going on?

Melania's eyes met Sam's, and Sam looked confusedly back at her for a moment before her eyes roved up to rest on the circlet atop the ghost's head. Sam felt a strong impression that she shouldn't suck this ghost girl into the thermos. So, not questioning the feeling, she slowly lowered the Fenton Thermos as she suddenly felt a tingly feeling spreading throughout her body. The soup container slipped from her slackened fingers and clattered to the asphalt.

"Sam?" she vaguely heard Jazz ask, but she didn't acknowledge it. Numbness was stealing over her nerves and a ringing in her ears had begun.

"Sam!" both Jazz and Tucker yelled as Melania disappeared in a flash of purple. The numbness and ringing abruptly stopped, leaving as did Melania's presence.

Pressing a hand up to her head, Sam asked, "W-what happened?"

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><p>Fun Danny: This is some seriously intense stuff goin' on, dude!<p>

Super Danny: That fiend! When will I get back to Amity Park to dish out the justice to this evildoer?

**Ah, don't worry, you will soon enough!**

**Ahahahahaha... did ya catch what happened at the ending, peoples? Didja? Didja didja didja? :D**

**Alright, I will try to update as quick as I can, but I might not be able to for a little while! But, I promise I'll try! Anyways, see ya at the next update!**

**Now, time to work on my Math Fair stuff... come on, Fun Danny!**

Fun Danny: *whimper*


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, finally got around to updating the next chapter! Thank heavens! I've had such a wild week, it's not even _funny! _**

George: Really? Not from where we're standing.

**Oh, be quiet.**

Fred: Okay, Gem, whatever you say!

**...Muses will be muses... Anyways, this chapter was really fun to write for some reason. I don't really know why, but expect a cliché ghost story towards the middle of the chapter! :3 That's the only warning I'm giving you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"Vlad, are you sure that you can't just contact one of your goons? Like, Skulker—you two still work together, right?" Danny asked, pausing as the two came to a long and thick fallen tree that lay across their path. He clambered up to stand on the top of the log as he waited for the man's response. The teenager couldn't believe he hadn't thought of that before—or even that the man himself hadn't come up with it before now! Didn't he always have some means for communicating with his employees?

"_Goons..._ honestly, my boy, your terms are a bit imaginative. I prefer to think of them as... allies—or... employees. Yes, employees..._._ And, don't you think I've already thought of that idea? Yes, I tried getting a hold of Skulker the first night we were stranded here, while you were passed out from the painkillers I gave you," Danny stuck his tongue out at the back of Vlad's head; however, since Vlad wasn't currently looking at the boy, this small act of spite went unnoticed as the man leapt slightly over the log. "_Except_, I couldn't get anything across. I couldn't _and still can't_ get a signal!" He abruptly turned around to face the boy, who quickly pulled his tongue back into his mouth, trying to make it not seem obvious he was pulling a face at the adult. Vlad, either not noticing Danny's sheepish expression or at least not acknowledging it, held up his wrist communicator for Danny to see before pressing a button. Nothing except loudly annoying static emitted from the device.

"Bummer, and here I had my hopes up again..." Danny said sorrowfully, shaking his head as he walked a little down the log, arms outstretched as if he were walking on a balance beam or tightrope.

Danny jumped down from the trunk, landing with a dull thud. A couple dead leaves and pine needles crunched underfoot as he continued walking alongside Vlad.

"You're telling _me_; ah, well, at least we're getting _somewhere_, and not _wandering aimlessly_ in this infernal forest, _right_, Daniel?" Vlad asked with gritted teeth.

Danny bit his lip and blushed sheepishly, "Uh, yeah?" Crap. He hadn't meant to make it sound like a _question_! The truth was he didn't really know anymore. He had only picked this westward direction because it _looked _like the forest thinned out in that direction. Whether it really ended there or not was a mystery to Danny. However, it was a more promising path than any of the other directions. The forest was _bound_ to end in this direction _sooner _or later, right? It was too bad that Vlad would probably kill him if it was _later_ rather than _sooner_. Vlad exhaled sharply at the boy's uncertain response, rolling his eyes.

The day progressed on, the two hiking constantly on their westerly course. The ground, which before was curving upwards, then gently sloped downwards. It was a nice change for the two hybrids, who were almost worn out completely from walking uphill for hours without stopping, the ambience of scurrying animals and twittering birds overhead now a customary soundtrack to their surroundings; only whenever the noises stopped did Danny and Vlad look around, surprised. Only late in the evening did _another_ sound add itself to the score.

The two slowly stumbled along down the slope, forcing their way through the undergrowth. It wasn't until the trees started to thin, becoming less densely-packed, that they registered that it was raining again as the ground became moist and muddy, and droplets came down steadily in a drizzle. With the thick cover of trees overhead, neither of them had felt it, even though a crack of thunder in the distance clued them in that it was at least threatening to. Danny tensed, looking overhead. However, it wasn't so much as the thunder than the lightning that was worrying him.

Vlad noticed this, "Relax, Daniel."

Danny didn't though, instead making a weird sound, like a groan and nervous laugh mixed together as he peered up through the canopy of leaves overhead. A flash of light from above and a resonating boom made the boy flinch, followed by a shudder.

Raising an eyebrow, Vlad asked incredulously, "Are you... are you afraid of _thunder?_"

"No... not thunder... Lightning."

When the man stayed silent for a few moments only to burst out laughing, Danny indignantly shouted, "Hey! I had a traumatizing experience with lightning when I was a kid! When I was little, I was in my room during a storm one day when all of a sudden lightning struck the swamp cooler outside, which was _just outside my room!_ When you're a little kid, you don't get over terrifying experiences like that _just like that_!"

Laughter subsiding, Vlad said apologetically, "Oh... I'm sorry; I know I shouldn't laugh if it is because of something like that. Heaven knows, I'd probably have the same problem if it were me!" Danny stuck a finger in his ear, trying to clear any earwax from it; did he hear that right? Did Vlad actually just say that?—something _kind?_ It must've been a sign that the end was near. "_True_, lightning is attracted to trees, yet since we _are _in a forest, which is _filled _with trees, the odds of being struck right now are one in a million."

"Yeah, tell that to the Fenton Works swamp cooler. Also, for your information, Vlad, it was a one in a million chance that you would become half ghost, and that happened—it was a one in a million chance that _I _would also become half ghost, and _that _happened! It was a one in a million chance that we would get sucked into a portal to the middle of nowhere, yet," Danny gestured around at the scenery, "_here we are! _So, you will _forgive me_ if it doesn't exactly reassure or comfort me when you say the words '_one in a million'_!" Danny hissed the last four words with distaste before shrinking in countenance as another brilliant flash of lightning lit up the night sky. The two were now shivering because of the occasional gust of wind and the drizzling had finally stepped it up a notch.

Vlad rolled his eyes again; Daniel could be such a _child_ sometimes. However, as soon as he looked forward again, his eyes widened at what he saw. A couple yards in front of the two hybrids, the slope dropped significantly, leaving them on some sort of ledge. The slope continued on at a steep angle, finally leveling out again at the bottom, where it began to slope uphill again.

The elder of the two stopped at the very edge, holding out an arm in front of the younger to tell him to stop.

"What, Vla—?" Danny cut himself off as he suddenly noticed that they were at the edge of the steep drop-off. The teen looked up at the man, noticing that he was squinting intensely down at the bottom of the slope.

"Is... is that... wha-what I think it i-is?" Vlad sniffed shakily, as if he were trying to hold something in, "I t-thi- I t-think I see a... _a..."_ He never finished his sentence, seeing as at that moment, he violently sneezed. Danny, who was looking downward at the time, saw for the split fraction of a second that Vlad's legs disappeared. Danny blinked for a second, not really catching on to what had happened until Vlad lurched forward, stumbling from his sudden loss of solidity. Out of sheer instinct, Vlad grabbed a fistful of Danny's grungy tee-shirt.

"Uh-oh..." Danny winced audibly as he, in that split second, realized what was about to happen.

The two toppled over the edge, somersaulting and rolling over and over down the steep slope, crying out in surprise. Muddy and wet all over, they came to a halt at the bottom, dazed.

Groaning, Danny rubbed his head as he mumbled to Vlad, disgruntled, "Uuuugh... Vlad? Er, when, exactly, do you plan to let go of _my shirt_?"

Vlad, who was bemused and staring wide-eyed up into the sky as he tried to regain his breath, slowly released Danny's shirt as he realized he still had his iron grip on it. Danny smoothed out the creases that the man's hand left in it, and flinched as Vlad got up, laughing maniacally.

"It is... _it's a trail! __A TRAIL! YES! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_

_That's it! The fruit loop's finally cracked—not that he wasn't crazy before, I mean, but, he's cracked! _Danny thought, laughing out loud. Although, he also was really relieved that they'd found a trail at last as well.

They didn't know how long they'd have to go along it, but they were eager to find a camp or , with the renewed hope of finding civilization, the two started off down the trail.

* * *

><p>"<em>Taylor! Is Jitterbug asleep yet?<em>

" a girl with short red hair asked quietly to the youngest of the five girls in cabin nine of Camp Copper Hills. She leaned curiously over the edge of the top bunk in the back left corner of the cabin.

Taylor, a small bespectacled girl with long waist-length blonde hair, peered over the edge of her own bunk to the one below hers with her large protuberant green eyes.

Jitterbug, their counselor, currently had her back turned to the rest of the cabin, facing the wall. Her slow and even breathing indicated that she was indeed asleep. Taylor looked up, gave a tight-lipped smile and a thumbs-up signal to the other four girls that they were good to go. They'd already been at this camp for three days and nights now, so they knew a lot—like the fact that their cabin counselor was such a deep sleeper, once she was out, she really was _out—_like a light. The girls _swore _that she could sleep through the sound of a _jackhammer _and not even stir! That had come in handy in the past couple nights, seeing as they always stayed up past curfew exchanging tales. Their giggling often became rather loud, yet even at that they never quite managed to wake her up. Still, Taylor was the type that always took extra precaution, so, swinging her legs over the side of the bunk, she lightly dropped to the wooden floor, which creaked softly as she padded across the planks in her slippers.

All the other girls, all within the age group of around ten to thirteen, were already gathered around on the floor, bringing blankets and pillows to soften their seats on the hard floorboards by the red-haired girl, who turned on a flashlight; she turned the light away from the counselor's face.

"Sadie, why'd you have to wait until _now _to tell us the story? I'm probably too tired to listen anymore!" One of the younger girls whispered to the redhead, who was the oldest of the bunch.

"Well, _Emma_, if I told you in the middle of broad daylight, it wouldn't have the same effect, would it? Anyways, you've _gotta_ know the story of the two miners if you want to have a good _background _of Copper Hills! Hehehe…" Sadie chuckled darkly, followed by a couple more snickers from the older part of the group. Everyone except the first-timers at this particular camp knew the story.

Gwen, a skeptical and rather tall eleven-year-old with short black hair and hazel eyes interjected, "Ghost stories… honestly, who believes in them?"

"If you're too _scared_, then go back to bed!" Tanya, the second oldest at age twelve grinned, raising an eyebrow mischievously.

"Whatever! I _am not _scared! In fact, I'll stay up just to see how quote, unquote '_spooky_' the dumb story is!" Gwen hissed under her breath, her face flushed and blotchy. At first wondering if she had been a little too loud, Gwen glanced nervously back to the front of the cabin, but the most Jitterbug did was roll over in her sleep. She turned her attention back to Sadie.

"Alright," Sadie folded her legs underneath herself, getting in a comfortable position to tell the story as rain began pitter-pattering on the roof of the cabin, thunder rolling off in the distance. It was as if the thirteen-year-old had planned the setting of the storytelling. The storm's aura sent the typical mood a scary story needed to have its proper effect. Already, Emma, who was probably the most easily frightened of the five, sat up straight, staring wide-eyed at Sadie and clutching her pillow close to herself. "Now, you all probably know that in the mid-1800's, _way_ before Copper Hills was the camp we know, that in that mountain towards the south there was a copper mine. Hardly any people lived out in this area; only mountain men, pioneers, and miners looking for riches came out this way. _But_, what you might _not _know about the mine and _these very camp grounds _is that they are haunted—!"

Gwen snorted derisively, but Taylor and Emma shushed her before turning their wide eyes to their storyteller.

"Ah, you're _already _making it sound corny! Let _me _take over now!" Tanya whined.

"I bet it's corny as a whole," Gwen sniggered.

"Fine, if you're so good, _you _can tell it!" Sadie said, ignoring the snide comment as she folded her arms and waited for Tanya to take over the reigns. Tanya obliged, clearing her throat before continuing on with a small grin.

"Now, anyways, there was once an old copper miner and his son who had emigrated from Ireland and came out here. The miner's wife had passed away on the voyage to America from sickness, and it had taken its toll on both the miner and his son. But the two still made their way over to the West to start a new life. They finally settled in this region.

"Anyways, one day as the miner was working in the mine with his son when he turned around to ask him to fetch a tool, but his son wasn't anywhere to be seen! The miner wandered around, deeper and deeper into the mine as he searched for his son. Meanwhile, the son had gone wandering off, exploring the labyrinth of mine shafts, but the shaft was unstable, and it collapsed, killing the boy. The miner never found his son, but it is said that to this very day, these very camping grounds are haunted by the copper miner's spirit, still looking for his son!" Tanya finished eerily.

"Aha. Ahahahahahahahahahaha! Seriously, your storytelling skills are _lacking_—both of you!" Gwen laughed softly, pointing to Sadie and Tanya. "That story was probably the dumbest ghost story _ever_! It was soooooooo _scary!_" she said sarcastically. However, thunder boomed as lightning flashed through the window, making all five of them flinch, before they all burst out laughing.

Then, just barely over the storm, they heard a sound—all of them stayed still, trying desperately to identify it. After a few moments, they realized that it was a man's voice, in what sounded like a laugh. A really joyful and _eccentric _laugh.

Emma squeaked after the sound was drowned out by the wind, "What was that?"

They all crowded around the window at the front of the cabin, lifting aside the pale blue curtains and squinting into the darkness outside. There the five girls saw two silhouettes in the darkness: one tall and the other short, and they were slowly making their way towards their cabin.

"It's the Ghost of Copper Hills!" Taylor gasped, ogling at the sight, "And _his son!_" the older girls just stared dumbfounded at the scene while the younger ones gasped and whispered anxiously in an excited way. It was actually quite a humorous scene, really. Meanwhile, it looked as if the two shadow-like figures were hurrying faster toward the cabin.

"Ummm... It looks like they're coming _over here!_" Tanya whispered.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Go out and take care of it for us!" Emma hissed.

"_I'm _not going out there! Sadie, _you _go out!"

"Wait, don't you think we should wake Jitterbug up? She could probably handle this better than _any _of us!" Taylor interjected.

"No—with our luck, the ghosts will have disappeared and we'll get in trouble for being up past curfew! Look, I have an idea—get all your pillows and wait by the door. We'll smother these creeps!" Gwen said, smiling challengingly outside. Strangely enough, her skepticism of ghost stories seemed to have dissipated at the sight of the two figures—even for that seemingly ridiculous tale.

Emma scrunched up her eyebrows, even though she complied along with the others, "But, they're _ghosts_! Won't the pillows just go right through them?"

Gwen glared, "Look, we've got no time to argue about this, so, unless you've got a better plan, just wait by the door!"

So, poising at either side of the door, the girls waited silently for the two to reach the cabin.

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh<em>, yeah, a trace of civilization at _last_!" Danny exclaimed, overcome with joy. They'd been following the same thin trail for an hour and a half, not even slowing down or stopping to rest, even though it was close to midnight by then. They were so excited at the prospect of getting out and away from this forest; their exhaustion had practically no effect on them. The trail had widened and the ground became level again before the forest thinned out into a clearing. Filling up this clearing was a campsite. Danny and Vlad, now soaked from being out in the rain for so long now, held up a hand to shield their eyes from the rain as they read the wooden sign that flapped in the wind: Camp Copper Hills.

Vlad laughed, speechless at first. He had never been so glad to see a manmade structure before now. He had completely taken them for granted!

"Come on!" Danny called back to him, rushing on ahead towards the cabin closest to them.

Vlad caught up to the overjoyed teenager, both of them shivering from both coldness and excitement. Danny jumped up the steps on the porch two at a time and wiped his hair off his face, which was by now plastered to his forehead. The two shook off some excess water off of themselves before Danny knocked rapidly on the door.

Immediately the door started opening slowly; except no one was standing in the doorway. Danny and Vlad slowly walked inside the dimly-lit cabin, confused, but suddenly a girl's voice screeched.

"_NOW!_"

Both their eyes widened for a millisecond before the two of them were tackled to the floor.

"Aaaaaargh—!" Danny yelled before his cry was muffled by something soft whacking him in the face. What the heck was going on here? The bombardment continued, both of the hybrids too stunned to react. Vlad finally got himself oriented enough to lash his foot out at one of the soft objects and pinned it to the floor with it. He grabbed another one and heard a ripping sound as one of the attackers pulled it back. Feathers spewed out of the hole and flew everywhere.

All of a sudden the lights in the room turned on, and a disheveled woman in her late twenties with a severe case of bed-head shouted, "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Danny and Vlad stared from the woman to their attackers: five girls slightly younger than Danny. The woman sniffed, straightening out the creases in her nightgown as she composed herself.

"I wake up to find everyone screaming bloody murder and my girls clobbering the senses out of two complete strangers with _pillows! PILLOWS!_ I believe I deserve an explanation!"

Vlad spat out a couple feathers disdainfully, "As do _we! _We're simply two lost travelers who found this camp and were attacked by little girls when we come to ask for a place to stay!"

The woman's jaw dropped slowly before she turned her angry gaze to the five girls, "Is this true?"

"We... thought they were the copper miner's ghost and his son..." the youngest of the five said sheepishly, setting her glasses on her nose straight again, seeing as they had been knocked askew.

The billionaire was fuming, "Do I _look _like a copper miner?"

Danny was also beside himself, "Do I _look _like his son?"

"Oh, boy... not this again... I'm terribly sorry about this whole thing... it's just a really ridiculous camp legend that the girls have been obsessing over lately!" the woman apologized.

"And it's no _wonder _you five have always been dead tired every morning when I wake you up! You've been staying up until the wee hours of the morning exchanging ridiculous stories!" she scolded the girls.

She turned back to the exhausted half ghosts, "Now, I know it's late and you two are probably exhausted, but how about I get you two some hot chocolate and blankets to warm you up?" Both Danny and Vlad nodded vigorously; yes, that would be most welcome!

* * *

><p><strong>Yes, now they've finally gotten somewhere!<strong>

**Now, this is what you get when I get sugar: cheesy ghost stories and little girls beating up the main characters with pillows.**

Fred: Trust us, that's not _nearly _how weird she can get.

George: Yeah, not even _close!_

**I'm not even going to deny that one. What can I say? I'm weird like that. Anyways, hope the chapter was worth the wait and that you enjoyed it! Don't forget to review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Alright, so here's the long-awaited chapter when we all find out just where exactly our two favorite half ghosts were dumped! I felt like updating in celebration of the fact that the next review is going to be the hundredth and I'm so thrilled! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! *bounces up and down excitedly* I'd love to thank all of the reviewers and their lovely comments throughout the course of this story up to this point, of course!**

Castor: Yes, yes, we know that we're awesome! *bows low*

Pollux: Wherever would our Gem be if she didn't have us to help?

Castor: *tsk-tsk* It would not be a concept any of you would want to see!

**You're flattering yourselves, guys; seriously.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Once both Danny and Vlad were warmed up and settled, the woman stood in front of them, clasping her hands together. She had lots of questions for these two strangers. Well, you couldn't blame her; it wasn't _everyday _that you had a man and a teenage boy landing on the doorstep of your cabin in the middle of the night, after all. However, seeing as they had just barely come out of the rain, she decided it was best to give them a chance to unwind. _Then _she'd ask them.

Danny sighed contentedly, wrapping the quilt he had been provided tightly around him.

Vlad looked up after taking a long draught of hot chocolate, "Well, we _both _would like to thank you for your hospitality, Miss…?"

"Jitterbug; her name's Jitterbug!" a girl with short dark hair piped in mischievously. The five girls were still up, now wide awake because of the event of two lost hikers stumbling across Copper Hills. This sure was an interesting trip so far!

The girls had a small giggling fit at the peculiar look Vlad and Danny sent to the counselor and campers.

Jitterbug gave them a stern look that warned them to stop laughing, which did the trick; their laughter died off, leaving them silently smiling. Apparently this woman knew _just_ how to influence the girls to do what she wanted. She turned back to the two hybrids, her frown completely morphed into a gracious and hospitable smile.

"My counselor name," she explained, "It's what the girls call me for now—before the last day of camp when I tell them my actual name—it's a camp tradition!"

She leaned in closer so only Danny and Vlad could hear, "But, whenever _they _aren't around, you can just call me Debbie!"

Vlad nodded as Danny winked and whispered roguishly, "Okay, gotcha!"

"What was that?" the second oldest girl asked smugly, and it looked like she had a feeling she knew the subject that was being spoken of between the counselor and the other two.

"Nothing!" Jitterbug snapped, yet kept it in a playful tone. She smirked and rolled her eyes as more girlish giggling emitted from the campers.

"Well... I'm sure you know the girls by now, right?"

"Oh, yes, we know _them_! Just not by name, I'm afraid." Vlad said surreptitiously, his eyes narrowly roving over to the group of preteens.

Jitterbug continued on amiably, "Well, in that case I'll introduce them—That's—"

Immediately the oldest of the five spoke up, interrupting the counselor, "Sadie! I'm Sadie..." She airily raised her hand up as she leisurely rocked back and forth in the wooden rocking chair she sat slumped in, resting her legs on the stool in front of her. Danny was struck with the impression that this girl must be the head honcho of the group—she simply had that natural air. He guessed it wasn't that abnormal, though; Sadie was the oldest out of them, after all.

The counselor sighed, arm outstretched as she gestured to the oldest. Then, moving along, she pointed at one of the younger girls standing next to Sadie, waiting for her to say her name before moving on to the next: Emma, Taylor, Tanya, and then finally to Gwen, who was perched on one of the top bunks to the side of the long rectangular cabin.

Danny raised an eyebrow. This girl reminded him of Sam, and even looked like her a little bit. Seriously, Gwen's attitude was uncannily like hers.

"So, you need to tell us what happened to you two, now!" Jitterbug said, pointing to the other two.

"Yeah, like who are you, anyway?" Gwen asked blatantly, letting her head fall back over the edge of her bunk as she peered at Danny and Vlad from her upside down position.

"Oh! We haven't even introduced ourselves yet! How rude! My name is Vlad Masters and _this_—"

"_Whoa, wait, _wait, wait, wait! You mean you're Vlad Masters as in the _billionaire?_" Sadie blurted out, taking her feet off of the stool and leaning forward, interested.

"…is Daniel," Vlad finished his previous sentence before answering the question, "_Yes, _Vlad Masters as in the _billionaire._"

"Really? Sweet! And how's Daniel related to you? Is he your son or something?" Tanya asked, apparently having not noticed Danny's indignation previously at being called the man's son. Vlad grinned slowly, opening his mouth to respond, but Danny, who was now simmering, beat him to it.

"Er, it's Danny—and no, I'm his nephew… not son." Danny said, settling on that.

Danny resisted the urge to cringe as Vlad slung his arm around Danny's shoulder, "Yes, we came out here in the woods for uncle and nephew bonding time! But, we lost our way while hiking and wandered around for a while before stumbling on this camp here." Vlad said, though mentally adding, _And where exactly _is _here?_

Jitterbug shrugged before unknowingly answering Vlad's question, "Yes, well, this part of the Uintas can be _quite _the maze of trees! Can't really blame you, even though I've never seen lost campers wash up here before!"

Both of the half ghost hybrids' minds started working on high-speed, with Danny wondering where the heck the Uintas were and Vlad absolutely irritated at the irony. However, the man kept this emotion from showing on his face, even though Danny could tell.

"Yes, of course," Vlad said, and then rubbing his hands together stood up, "Well, we don't want to keep you all awake any longer; I'm sure you're all tired, especially considering our intrusion, so—"

Jitterbug intervened, "Oh, don't worry yourselves, it's completely _fine_! You know, if you'll just follow me, I'll lead you two to the trading post to get a change of clothes so you don't have to wear those filthy rags. Well, the store doesn't have anything except camp tee shirts, but, you know they'll be much more comfortable than staying in what you're wearing right now! Then I'll show you to an empty cabin you can stay in!"

"Oh, thank you _so _so much!" Vlad said, smiling as Danny nodded his head thankfully.

"I'm just thankful I could _help_," the counselor replied, waving aside the gratefulness, reflecting her attitude that it truly was nothing.

She turned back to the five girls as she led the two back towards the cabin door, pausing as she set one of her hands on the doorknob, "And, when I get back, I expect all of you to be _asleep_." _Or else,_ her look seemed to say afterwards. The campers shiftily exchanged glances amongst themselves as the door opened and shut, momentarily letting in the chilly winds from the storm outside.

The cabin was filled with silence, only broken with the soft sounds of snoring. The rest of the campers looked over at the bunk underneath Gwen's, realizing that Emma had finally given in and dozed off.

"Well, I'd say that was a little weird." Taylor said, slowly taking her eyes off of the lump under the covers that was Emma.

"Yeah, you could say that again…. That Vlad Masters is _pretty _peculiar if you ask me." Gwen said.

"Why do you say that?" Tanya frowned.

"Well, just the fact that he's wearing a _dress suit _out in the forest?" Odd expressions were exchanged and mild chuckles echoed around the cabin at that.

After a few more moments of silence, Sadie spoke in a sly tone, raising up an eyebrow, "…But you know… Mr. Masters' nephew ain't that bad looking…"

"Amen…" Tanya replied loudly.

* * *

><p>After dashing across the campgrounds to the trading post, Jitterbug took out a set of keys and unlocked the shop, quickly letting them inside and shutting the door. The room was briefly pitch dark before the counselor flicked on the light switch, causing the three to blink a couple times from the burst of sudden light that filled the store. It was a quaint, small, and log-cabin style building that was filled with lots of souvenirs like Native American dream catchers and assorted key chains on a rack at the cashier's desk near the front of the shop.<p>

Jitterbug immediately made her way to the back of the trading post to where the camp tee shirts were kept; Vlad and Danny followed her.

She rummaged through a stack of blue shirts with Copper Hills emblazoned in copper lettering on the fronts, "Hmm... well, the only size available at the moment is large... I hope that's okay?"

"It's no problem." Danny replied.

As she turned around and handed them to the two hybrids, Vlad said, "I can pay for these."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! You don't have to _pay_; it's really not a problem _at all_! In fact, _I'll_ pay for you." she said in the same reassuring tone, pulling out a wad of dollar bills from one of the pockets of her nightgown and stuffing it into the cash register on her way back to the exit of the shop.

Neither Danny nor Vlad could really respond to this. They were simply stunned at this lady's generosity, that's all.

"Well... _thank _you... once again... Debbie." Danny slowly said, smiling.

"It's the least I could do, really; now come on, I'll show you two to your cabin." And with that, she let them back outside and locked up the trading post once again.

After dashing through the rain once again, this time to a different cabin towards the southern side of the camp, the counselor unlocked it and let them in, saying, "Okay, so breakfast is served at seven thirty in the morning, so you can set the alarm clock inside to a little before that if you want. Although, if you're too tired, you're welcome to sleep in and pick something up from the Mess Hall whenever you feel like it. Also, there are a few extra, new toothbrushes in the bathroom that you can use," she let out a loud yawn, "Have a good rest."

"You too; good night." Vlad answered cordially before Jitterbug closed the door behind her, leaving the two alone in the cabin.

"Wow... that was really nice." Danny said after glancing at the shirt he held in his hand. He then turned and made his way past all of the empty bunks to the back of the cabin, where the restrooms were located.

"Yes... _really nice..._ The _Uinta Range..._ Oh, the irony!" Vlad called loudly, still standing in the same place at the front of the cabin.

"Okay, Vlad, why are you so ticked? We're not really lost anymore!" Danny yelled back out of the restroom as he turned on the faucet. He began washing his face thoroughly, scrubbing the dirt out.

"Well, the _Uintas_, Daniel, is the highest mountain range in the United States that runs _west _to _east_, not _north _to _south, _for starters, which is the beginning of the irony! And we thought that going _east or west _was the answer! Also, don't you know what state we are in now?" Vlad turned around, now slowly making his way back to where the teenager was. He took off his suit jacket and tossed it onto one of the lower bunk beds he was passing.

Danny turned off the water and dried his face after making sure none of the dirt was left, "Umm, no... I was hoping you'd tell me?"

"_Utah._ We're in _Utah, _dear boy! Oh, fate was so cruel to dump us _so_ close to the Colorado Rockies and my chalet, yet _so_ far!" Vlad feigned a thespian sigh, holding up one of his hands to his forehead dramatically.

Danny burst out laughing, "Utah! Seriously, that is something—if only we were dropped one state to the east! Oh well, don't dwell on how this whole thing worked out, Vlad; it's not like it would've been easier to _walk_ to your chalet, even _if _we knew where we were!" His voice sounded a little muffled to Vlad due to the two being in different rooms, yet the man could still tell what he was saying.

"Yes, yes, I guess you're right... But still, this whole ordeal has been was and still is nothing but a nightmare—it's been so since the very start!"

Meanwhile Danny had pulled off his dirty white and red shirt and put on the new one Jitterbug had given him. Examining his reflection in the mirror above the sink, he exhaled vehemently, pulling the baggy tee shirt outward to see just how loose it was when he wore it. He knew that he had always been a bit scrawny for his age, but _this _was ridiculous. And he thought that the _other _shirt was loose on him!

As Vlad entered the restroom, now changed into the other clean shirt as well, he paused, seeing how ridiculous the boy looked in the shirt. Even though it was supposed to be a short-sleeved shirt, the sleeves came down past Danny's elbows and the shirt overall seemed quite a bit too long, making it look like a tunic instead of a shirt. The billionaire smiled and bit his lip at the sight; Danny narrowed his eyes as he looked at Vlad's reflection behind him in the mirror.

"Not—one—word." the teenager growled through clenched teeth.

"Hey, I didn't say _anything, _Daniel." His complacent smile said it all, though.

Danny let go of the shirt grudgingly and let it fall back into its loose folds around him as he combed his matted hair with his fingers as he grumbled, "Well, you sure are _thinking _it." He yawned loudly as he rummaged through the drawers underneath the sink, grabbing one of the said toothbrushes Jitterbug had mentioned along with a small tube of toothpaste. He began brushing his teeth, now paying no more heed to the man.

Vlad, who was now standing beside Danny, laughed quietly and said, "Ooh, good thinking; you might want to brush your teeth since your breath is _horrible_! I swear you have halitosis so bad I could smell it all the way from the front of the cabin."

The teenager paused and stared into the mirror at Vlad's reflection again, eyes at half-mast again. Then, finishing up brushing and rinsing out his mouth, he grabbed the other toothbrush and thrust it into the man's hand, smiling sardonically and saying, "Speak for yourself," He started heading back out to hop into one of the bunks, calling drowsily over his shoulder, "'Night, Vlad!"

"Good night, Son!" Vlad called back before beginning to brush his teeth.

"_Don't call me_ _that!"_ he faintly heard the boy quip back in a sing-song voice.

Vlad shook his head, smirked, and rolled his eyes before continuing what he had been doing.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed! Please make sure to review; you know how much I love your thoughts!<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

***laughs maniacally* HAHA, YES! AT LAST! Ahem... sorry about... that. But, yes, now that I've gotten my school projects out of the way, I finally have the time to update some more! Yay me! *London Tipton clap* Tee-hee! **

**I admit that part of the reason that I haven't updated for so long is that I've been reading much more than writing the past few weeks. But, on the bright side, I've finished Return of the King!**

Gollum: My precious was loooooost! *Gollum! Gollum!*

**Please forgive my Gollum muse. He's been traumatized about the whole thing ever since I finished watching the movie as well. He was in the same room when the ring went overboard into Mount Doom...**

Gollum: WE WEEPS, PRECIOUS, WEEEEEEEEEPSESES!

**And now I give you chapter 16. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own DP. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Danny yelped, his eyes snapping open as he was jolted awake. Sitting bolt upright, he accidentally smacked his forehead and nose on the white-painted metal frame of the upper bunk above him. He hissed and massaged his face as the impact made a low gong-like sound, which throbbed throughout the cabin quite loudly. Apparently he had forgotten that there was a bunk above him. He was now so used to sleeping under the stars out in the open that he almost thought he was outside again as stars winked in front of his eyes as he slowly gathered his senses again.

"Uuugh... I think I just broke my nose or something..." Danny muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose and rubbing it as he called over to Vlad after he realized that the alarm was closest to his bunk, "Vlad... could you get that?"

Vlad responded by sighing groggily and stretching, "...Yes..." He lazily reached over the void between the bunk and nightstand and pressed the off button on the digital alarm clock that currently read seven o'clock; the beeping stopped as he then let his arm drop down so that it draped over the side of the bed, letting out a sibilant exhale of breath.

Danny swung his legs out and gingerly set his feet onto the ground, slowly standing up. All of the walking he had done in the past... week? Or was it week and a _half?_ Or maybe even two? Danny didn't really know anymore; he had sort of lost track of how many days the two of them had been stranded in the wilderness. Anyhow, all of the walking he had done was now catching up with him; blisters had formed on both of his feet and his muscles ached. To add to the pain, he had also developed a sunburn on his cheeks, arms, and the tip of his nose, which now had his skin beginning to peel. He sat back down, taking off one of his socks and examining a particularly large blister on the outward side of his big toe. As he lightly prodded it, he came to the conclusion that no, Converse sneakers were definitely not the best hiking shoes in the world!

He grimaced and winced before slipping his sock back on, rubbing his neck; he noticed that Vlad still wasn't getting up. "Hey, aren't you going to breakfast?"

"Mmm... no... I didn't fall asleep until around four, since it was already one-thirty when we came across the camp... and I was thinking about all the meetings I had to attend and what a nightmare it will be when we get back, being bombarded by the press for 'ditching' them..." the man sighed, his eyes still closed. "But you can if you want to... I'll be up once I've had more than three hours of rest..." Vlad listlessly raised up the arm that was hanging over the edge of the bunk, waving him off in the same indolent way.

"Awwww... poor V-Man's so homesick, not even being able to fall asleep until _four_..." Danny smiled, sticking out his bottom lip in a feigned sad and understanding expression.

"Charming... Go take your wit somewhere else, Daniel..." Vlad grumbled.

"Glad to," Danny said, slipping on his shoes and standing up again, stretching. If it weren't for his loudly growling stomach, he would most definitely have chosen to sleep in past the alarm as well, but when appetite called, Danny wasn't usually one to ignore it. Not that he could've anyway, given the fact that it was to the point that his gut growled and nagged at him with stabs of hunger pains. It wasn't only that, at any rate; after all, he hadn't had a decent meal in quite a long time. The closest thing he'd had to something decent was that one small fish a couple days back, and he didn't even _like _fish all that much! So, he was rather curious as to what would be served at the cafeteria in this place.

He slipped outside and stood on the porch of the cabin for a minute, taking a deep and greedy gulp of the cool crisp morning air. It smelled fresh and clean from the storm the previous night. That, mixed with the pine, was a really pleasant aroma to Danny. He sighed before walking slowly down the stairs, hands on the railing as he looked up at the rising sun, which was just now peeking over the mountaintops.

The sudden calls of a bird startled and drew Danny's eyes from the horizon to a large shrub that grew around ten yards from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs. A mockingbird was singing, lightly leaping from his perch and flapping in midair three times before parachuting with open wings back to the twig that was his perch.

"_Tchack! Chair, chair, tyeep, tyeep, tyeep, tut-tut-tut-tut tchack!"_

After getting over the surprise of it, Danny chuckled and relaxed, watching the flight display of the long and slender bird as he listened to the long repertoire of notes and phrases. It made him wonder just how much of the song that the mockingbird was mimicking from other birds and how much was original.

After a few minutes, the bird paused in his song, and Danny laughed softly again. The gray bird eyed him curiously, his head twitching from side to side to get different angles of the teenager that was watching him.

"Ooooh what a beautiful moooooorniiiing, ooooh, what a beautiful daaaaaay!_" _Suddenly a girl's voice blared throughout the camp as a screen door slammed, singing the song Danny recognized from the musical **Oklahoma**. The mockingbird took off into the sky, startled by the sudden sound. Danny rolled his eyes as he looked off in the direction the voice had come from. A couple girls from cabin... six, it looked like? Yes, a couple girls from cabin six had come out as well, though it seemed that they hadn't noticed Danny, seeing as one of them was bellowing out this song like they were the only ones outside so far. She didn't seem self-conscious—at all. Danny cringed at the horridness of her bold singing; obviously she was trying to sing it off-key.

"Jen! Shut your mouth; you're flat!" a boy who had just come out of cabin two yelled groggily across the circle of cabins.

The group of girls laughed loudly as Jen continued with a big grin on her face, this time changing her tone to the exact opposite of what it had been, "I got a beautiful feeeeeeliiiiiing! Everything's goin' my waaaaaaay!"

"...And now, you are sharp..." he sighed, "Just where do you think you guys are going? You know the cook won't let you in to breakfast early!" the boy called, still standing at his point on the cabin porch.

"No harm in trying, Seth!" one of the girls called over.

The boy named Seth replied as he opened the screen door to his cabin again, "Whatever, I'm goin' back to bed... I don't care what the counselors say..."

As the girls continued on toward the western end of camp, where the Mess Hall was located to no doubt heckle the camp's chef, Danny started walking briskly toward the eastern end. He decided to take a jog around the campsite to get the blood flowing; he sped his pace up to a light trot. At first this felt like it was doing the trick, but then after a few minutes the sores on his feet started rubbing against the side of his shoe. Danny slowed down and doubled over, breathing in sibilant hisses because of the pain the blisters on his feet were causing him.

"Okay... maybe not the best idea at the moment..." Danny sighed, relieving the pressure off of his right foot, rotating it slowly.

However, he guessed that he could check on how his ghost form was holding up. He wanted to know if being in it would still drain him of energy. So, slipping off behind one of the cabins, he let the white rings part around his torso and morph. He jumped up into the air, and after a few minutes of slowly floating around the outskirts of the campsite, he decided it was safe to kick it up a notch. He shot upward like a cork out of a bottle and soared above the tops of the trees. Spinning in circles with his arms outstretched, he flew several laps around in the air, sighing in relief as the wind brushed his face. Danny paused in midair to check on how much energy was being taken up. The ghost boy concluded that he wasn't tired, not at all; exhilarated and breathless, sure, but definitely not tired. It felt really good, to be able to fly again! Danny looked back up at the eastern horizon.

_I can go home now..._ Danny thought to himself slowly, picturing how easy it would be to just fly past that mountain, and the next one, and the next one... until he got back to Amity Park. It would be pretty easy to just sneak back into the cabin and nick off twenty or so dollars from Vlad and buy a map or something to get back home! He could leave right at that moment! _Yeah... A couple dollars more or less—Plasmius won't miss it! I could so easily pull it off! But... there's just a couple problems with that..._ Plasmius had his powers back now. Danny had seen it the night they had found the trail. Whether or not Vlad knew it yet, though, _Danny_ didn't even know. But, if he didn't know at that moment, he would soon, and then he'd regret it if he left. Now he could easily take out his revenge if Danny left, could easily catch up. No, he wouldn't—no, _couldn't _be that cruel to the man anyway. He'd just wait for Vlad to recoup in order to take off for home. He so reasoned with himself as he remembered his morals.

Danny dove back to the ground, swinging his legs down from above him quickly and morphing, dropping back to the soil with a thump. He checked the time on his watch and noticed that it was already five minutes into breakfast. He ran over to the Mess Hall and inside the building, stepping at the end of the line and relaxing his shoulders.

"Oh, hello, Daniel," Danny jumped at the sound of his name, turning around to see the counselor from the previous night that had so graciously ended the pillow fight between the girls and the two hybrids.

"Oh... hehe... hello Jitterbug. And please, call me D—"

"Danny, sorry! I hope you had a good rest last night? Where's your uncle?"

Danny replied politely, "Ah, Uncle Vlad's still asleep. He was just so wiped out, I don't think he'll be up until the afternoon, frankly..." He and the counselor laughed at that, "But, I slept okay, I'm just still a little tired. I was just so hungry, I needed to eat something!" The line progressed a couple feet as they exchanged this.

A tall black-haired and dark-eyed girl leaned out into the aisle, "Jitterbug, is _that _the boy who stumbled here last night?"

"Yes, this is Danny," the counselor said.

Danny inwardly sighed; it looked like word had gotten out that two lost strangers had come in the middle of the night.

Once they got to the front of the line, Danny grabbed a plate and loaded it with pancakes and syrup greedily.

"So, I just wanted to let you know that after breakfast we're going to be panning for gold over in the nearby stream and that you're welcome to participate!" Jitterbug courteously offered as Danny grabbed a blueberry muffin and filled a glass with orange juice.

"I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to pass on that... I think I'm going to try getting some more rest after breakfast, but thank you anyway." He respectfully declined.

"That's okay."

"But, once my uncle's woken up, we think that we should leave, since we need to be getting back home as soon as possible. Family's probably worried sick!" Danny said.

The counselor sighed in sympathy, "Yes, I understand completely; in fact, I'll drive you both down to the airport in Salt Lake and let you carry on from there, okay?"

"Really, you'd do that? Thank you _so very _much!"

"Okay, enough of the thanks and just let me earn my brownie points!" Jitterbug joked.

Danny ate as fast as possible while still savoring the flavor of his first decent meal in forever. He felt extremely uncomfortable with all the eyes boring holes into him as he ate. The young hybrid blushed as he heard whispers around him. He rushed out of the cafeteria as soon as he finished, but paused as he put his hand on the doorknob of the cabin. Danny slowly grinned as a plan formed in his mind. Those girls didn't know just how ironic their ideas were the previous night about him and Vlad... Perhaps he should give them a dose of how close they were...

* * *

><p>"Okay, guys!" Jitterbug called out to get the attention of all the campers. Normally this wouldn't have been such a task since she wasn't known to be the most soft-spoken person in the whole camp, but her voice was starting to go hoarse. It was already stretching the volume of her voice since they were all spread out far down the sides of the creek on either side of where she stood. The crowd of campers continued chattering as if the counselor hadn't even spoken. "<em>Guys!<em>" she repeated, a little louder. Still, the talking didn't cease; in fact, if it actually did anything, it probably just got even louder.

Danny, still floating invisible and to the side, laughed softly as Jitterbug rubbed her temples in annoyance. She finally decided to continue on for those of the group who actually were listening.

"Okay! If you have any questions or need anything, just ask any of us counselors and we'll help you! We also have tiles you can use for streak-testing!" The campers still continued doing their own business.

She sighed, shoulders slouched as her arms hung limply at her sides. Shasta, a fellow counselor with short brunette with freckles across her nose who was just fresh out of high school, walked casually up to Jitterbug, hands behind her back.

"Hanging in there, I see, Deb?" she asked, smiling faintly at her comrade's tired demeanor.

"Pfft..." she blew her bangs out of her face, dead beat tired, "By a thread." Both of them started walking up and down the stream, keeping an eye on the campers' progress as they continued talking.

"Aaaargh! _Shaaaastaaaaa, Jada pushed me into the streeeeeeam!"_ one girl whined to the counselor on the sidelines, dripping wet and standing in the creek, mid-calf deep in the flowing water.

"Jada, stop behaving that way or else you'll be getting banned from any other activities for a week!" Shasta called sternly in the direction of the girls, yet the two counselors kept their pace.

"I'm telling you, they're not paying me enough for this." Shasta airily said to Jitterbug, brushing aside a stray strand of hair from her face.

Jitterbug replied, "They're not paying us _period_."

"Point taken..." Shasta sighed, shaking her head as her eyes landed on a chubby eleven-year-old boy struggling to pull his pan, which was seemingly embedded in the streambed, back up to the surface.

"Sweetie, you've bitten off more than you can chew," she said bluntly, almost in the same breath as her previous statement, but still keeping it in a non-rude tone. "Try scooping a little _less_." She yanked the boy's pan out of the streambed and handed it back to him before continuing on walking with the other counselor. Shasta rolled her eyes and looked pointedly back at Jitterbug as the boy paused before shoving the pan deep into the bottom of the stream once again.

Jitterbug thrust her bag of tiles into one of Shasta's free hands, chuckling derisively, "Hmm, well, if you'll please excuse me... I need to get away from this racket...

"And take some migraine pills..." she added under her breath, lowering her eyelids as she began marching back off in the direction camp was in.

Shasta was left simmering amongst the tumultuous crowd of kids with a headache of her own, wishing she could follow Jitterbug's lead and take her leave as well. But, there were only a couple more counselors in charge of this large group, and she couldn't very well leave without ticking off the others. "Hah!" she scorned, stomping her foot angrily before marching off in the opposite direction, back along the side of the creek.

Danny snickered at this, not even worried that someone would overhear him. With all the campers talking, it was enough to drown out the sound of his fit of laughter. He flew off in the other direction Shasta had gone in, still invisible, searching for any certain familiar faces.

Soon, he came to the end of the trail of campers. A distance away from the rest of the group were the five girls from cabin nine, babbling to each other just like all the rest of the group of campers. Danny folded his arms and floated silently behind them, waiting for the right moment to make his, ahem... entrance.

Sadie was loudly conversing with Tanya, staring upward through the canopy of leaves while she absent-mindedly sloshed the water around in her pan rhythmically over and over again, "So, I was talking with some of the boys from cabin three about the hike later today and I, like, asked them if they were going on the ten- or fifteen-mile trail; they all said that they were going on the ten-mile hike. I don't know 'bout you, but _I'm_ going on the _fifteen_-mile hike! It's a piece of cake; I don't know how those guys could be such wimps!" She pompously grinned at her obvious superiority to those boys in cabin three.

"Mm-hmm..." Tanya slowly nodded her head, staring at some point in the distance across the stream. She sat cross-legged by the edge of the creek, one arm propping up her head while the other idly swished the contents of her pan. The movement of her arm became more sloppy and lazy, and as Sadie was continuing on about the ruggedness of the terrain on the fifteen-mile hike, the water spilled over the edge and landed in her lap.

"_Yipe!_" Tanya screeched at the coldness of the water, dropping her pan and wiped at her pant leg, brushing off the wet dirt that also came with the water. Gwen laughed as she saw Tanya's red handprint on her cheek from where she'd been propping up her head.

"Tired much?"

"Guess I kind of zoned out..." she mumbled, chuckling as she picked up her pan again and sifted through the dirt for any chunks of shiny metals.

"ALAS! She was daydreaming of the dark and handsome nephew of the eccentric billionaire, Mr. Masters! Yes, she was daydreaming of a world where her love for those deep and dazzling blue eyes wasn't unrequited!" Sadie theatrically and loudly declared, her face upturned and eyes closed. As she said this, she outstretched her arms towards the heavens, pan still in hand. Unfortunately for Tanya, who was sitting just a little to the side of this, got the resulting shower of wet dirt and pebbles raining down on her head and shoulders.

Tanya hissed as she shielded her head with her arms from the rest of the drizzle, "_Watch where you throw your arms, Sadie!_ And _no_, I wasn't daydreaming about that boy!"

Even at that, Danny grinned ear-to-ear. _Dark and handsome..._ He liked that description. He supposed that the saying was incomplete without the word 'tall' in front of it, though he guessed then it wouldn't have been quite true anymore. Yeah, _tall, _dark, and handsome didn't quite describe him accurately... But, it didn't really matter; Danny complacently examined his fingernails in his invisible state.

"I don't even know him, anyway. We only met last night when they landed on the doorstep of our cabin when we were both half asleep. Besides, he's the nephew of a billionaire. He's probably a spoiled snob; yeah, not my type." She declared matter-of-factly.

At this Danny's smug smile died into a scowl. His association with the fruit loop was giving them the wrong impression! This reminded him of what he had come to do in the first place; soon he'd put his vengeance into action!

"Whatever you say; your eyes don't lie..." Sadie jabbed, raising her eyebrows in a knowing gesture.

"Shut up..." Tanya muttered as she combed her fingers through her hair, plucking a pebble that was entangled in the now wet and dirty mess. She flicked it at Emma's head as she giggled teasingly, nailing her on the back of the neck.

Emma yelped as the cold and wet stone slipped down the back of her shirt and onto the forest floor behind her. She stuck out her tongue at Tanya, who had turned her attentions back to wringing the excess water out of her hair, frowning with narrowed eyes. She twisted in her spot on the ground and picked up the pebble behind her, which was distinguishable from the rest because it was the only wet one in the area around her. She got ready to flick the small thing back at the flustered twelve-year-old when she stopped, having spotted something of interest. Emma raised the pebble up to eye-level—there was a shiny gold-colored fleck of mineral attached to the light gray rock.

"I think I've got some gold here!" Emma squealed, using her thumbnail to cleave the mineral and rock apart as she slightly bounced up and down with excitement.

Sadie, without even looking at Emma's find, said dully, "You know, that's probably not _real _gold. It's most likely pyrite."

Emma blinked vacantly at the eldest of the five, her enthusiasm slightly dying down even though her smile remained on her face.

"_You know..._ 'fool's gold'? There's actually much more of _that _up here than any actual gold." Sadie explained.

"Killjoy..." Emma pouted, getting ready to chuck the faux gold back into the creek, but Sadie held up a hand to stop her, still keeping her gaze fixed into the distance like Tanya had.

"_But, _you could check by testing its streak. Go ask one of the counselors for a tile." Sadie went back to sloshing the water in her pan in the same vague manner, nodding her head back off in the direction of where most of the counselors were.

Tanya brushed some dirt off of her shoulders, "Hey! That's not fair! _I _was the one who had that pebble in the _first _place! If it _does _turn out to be real gold, I want it back!"

Sadie laughed, "Well, _technically _that's true, but if we're talking _technically_, _I _had the pebble first, and then it wound up with you—" Tanya snorted, returning back to panning for gold as she finally gave up on her hair, "And then it wound up with Emma, who was the only one who noticed."

"_Yeah! _Finder's _keepers_, Tanya!" Emma matter-of-factly retorted.

"Ah_, _whatever! Just go get a tile, Emma!" Gwen exclaimed, turning away from her conversation with Taylor to interject her complaint.

"I'm not gonna do that; look how small it is!" Emma whined, holding up the miniscule mineral between her thumb and forefinger for the rest to see.

Danny regained his visibility, floating stomach-down with his legs crossed leisurely, a hand propping up his chin. None of them noticed him at first, until Emma jumped when Danny spoke suddenly from behind her.

"Yeah, smart thinking; if you use that little thing up on the tile, there'll be none left for you to keep. Where's the worth in that?"

The girls turned around abruptly and stared at him incredulously, soaking in the scene of the white-haired ghost kid floating in front of them. Emma, who was closest at the moment to him, blinked dubiously with a vacant expression, mouth open. Danny smiled amiably.

"Boo." He enthusiastically said, making his eyes flash green just to add to the effect. Well, it worked!

Emma gave a distressed squeak before her eyes rolled back in her head and collapsed. She fell backward into Sadie, causing her to fall back into the stream. Sadie sat in the foot deep water for only a millisecond, screaming as she did so.

"G-g-ghooooooooost!" Taylor screamed, abandoning her pan and running for the hills away from the stream.

Emma gathered her wits about her again as she sat up with a hand pressed against her forehead, realizing that she hadn't been hallucinating.

"W-w-wait for meeeeeeee!" Emma wailed, quickly getting to her feet and sprinting off after Taylor and Gwen, who were already a hundred yards away from that spot.

Sadie stumbled to her feet but slipped twice in the creek, "_Don't leave me!"_ Danny floated aside as Sadie ran past him, turning invisible again as many of the other campers looked, trying to see what had happened, but none of them had apparently noticed the teenage ghost that had frightened the five girls.

They shrugged and went back to talking and panning for gold, figuring those girls were just being plain weird and nothing really happened.

* * *

><p>Vlad stretched, finally deciding that he probably wouldn't be falling asleep again. He'd only been able to sleep for an hour after he'd been awakened the first time and hadn't been able to rest any after that. He sighed; well, at least that one hour did wonders for him. Not to mention sleeping on an actual bed on an actual mattress! With all due respect, the mattresses on these bunks were nowhere near as comfortable as the ones that he had in his manor, but compared to the damp dirt and ground he had to sleep on the past week and a half... these were a blessed relief. Now, at any rate, he'd have enough energy to go throughout the day.<p>

He sat up and slipped on his shoes, tidying up his messy ponytail. Standing up, he smoothly opened the door and stepped outside, blinking a little at the sunlight since he was used to the dim darkness that was in the cabin at the moment. He stretched once again, closing his eyes as he did so; he supposed that he'd have to find Daniel... breakfast was most likely over by then and he therefore couldn't still be in the cafeteria... and he had evidently not returned to the cabin afterwards... perhaps he could ask one of the counselors if they had seen him?

Vlad's eyes snapped open and his inhalation of breath abruptly sharpened as he heard several high-pitched screams. His muscles tensed again; he marched over to the edge of the topmost stair and squinted off into the distance. Running into the campsite from the woods with a distressed air were five girls. Vlad suddenly realized they were the five girls who clobbered him and Daniel with pillows the previous night. Well, didn't _this _bode well?

"Jiiiiiiiiiitterbuuuuuuuuuug!" Taylor, the youngest screamed at the front of the group as they ran up the steps and burst into cabin nine. The tallest was clearly sopping wet and left a trail of damp footprints from where she'd been.

A loud laugh came from behind Vlad in the cabin; the man frowned disapprovingly as he strode back into the cabin, seeing Danny in ghost mode doubled over in midair as he clutched his stomach.

"You change back _right _now, Daniel, before someone sees!" Vlad ordered. Danny, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye nodded and complied, still breathless with laughter. As soon as he had calmed down enough, Vlad's expression softened and he smiled knowingly, "What did you do?"

Danny just grinned widely and nodded; it was quite clear what he was saying by that: _You know, cheesehead. Why do you have to ask?_

Vlad laughed, "I'm proud of you, son, but—why didn't you let _me _know? I could've helped, you know."

"Because I was afraid you'd think of it as _father-son __**bonding**_! Yuck!"

The man shook his head and sighed sorrowfully, "Alas, you know me too well, it seems..."

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Definitely my longest chapter yet! I hope that the quality is just as good as the length! I feel like I just accomplished something! Yay me! *another London Tipton clap* Review, review, review, and review some more!<strong>

Gollum: WE WEEPSESES FOR THE PRECIOUS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, hello, hello readers! It is once again that time where I give you another chapter and you give me your input which I absolutely adore! I must apologize in advance; since the chapter is sort of running up to the climax, I made it slow on purpose. I know that for the past few chapters you guys have probably been on the edge of your seats waiting, but just wait for _one _more chapter of this and then you will get the long-awaited action! To tell you the truth, I've sort of been feeling the same way, so whenever I got a little bored, I started writing ahead a chapter or two... *insert guilty expression here*:3 **

Muses: Pfft...*rolls eyes*

Super Danny: Shame on you!

**Hey! I had an avalanche of ideas for the climax—which, by the way, came from all of _you muses _while I was trying to sleep last night! It's kind of hard to ignore those ideas when your muses are prodding your face when you're trying to catch shut-eye! I couldn't really update before now because I couldn't get a hold of a computer until now. Well, at least you all can expect the next couple of chapters faster than it would've been otherwise (You see, they're most likely going to be longer than normal, too.) So, sorry, but I can promise you that next chapter will be much more exciting!**

**isclaimer-Da: I-a on't-da own-a anny-Da antom-Pha**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

"Calm down! For heaven's sake, girls, just calm down and only _one _of you tell me what's going on!" Jitterbug raised her hands in surrender as she was mobbed by the group of preteens, trying to pick out one of the five distressed voices. _Oh boy... it looks like those migraine meds aren't doing their job... _she mused as the girls continued their jumbled up ranting like they were mad. Sadie forced her arms between the other four girls and pushed through from the back just like it was the parting of the Red Sea; well, except it didn't look like she crossed it on dry land—quite the contrary. She opened her mouth to talk again as the other four girls cried out in protest at being shoved aside like such.

Jitterbug sighed exasperatedly, grasping Sadie's damp camp shirt and wringing it, causing water to come out of it and pour onto the floor, "Sadie, why on Earth are you _wet?_"

"We swear we aren't joking this time!" she yelled, followed by nervous hyperventilating.

"_Quiet, _quiet, quiet..." Jitterbug kneeled down on one knee and soothingly reached out and laid her hands on the girl's shoulders. The five slowly relaxed somewhat and stared wide-eyed as she continued in the same peaceful tone, "Now, tell me what happened."

"There was—we were... yeah... and then... there was a... it was behind Emma... and it scared us off... and Emma knocked me... into the stream... and we... and... yeah!" she stammered out breathlessly.

The counselor blinked at the thirteen-year-old for a moment before asking slowly, "Um... I believe I missed it... _What _was behind Emma again?" She closed her eyes tightly, almost dreading the answer that the teenager was going to reply. Knowing these girls all too well only from the past couple _days_, even, they were either hallucinating or making it up. But most likely making it up.

Sadie stared wide-eyed off into space as she began hyperventilating again. She worked the pants up in a big crescendo, the rise and fall of her chest growing and growing with each inhalation before bursting out, "_A ghost!_" Tanya, Emma, Gwen, and Taylor waited for Jitterbug's reaction with baited breath.

She opened her eyes slowly as she heard a light rap on the door, "Come in!" She said, her tone brimming with uncontrollable amusement.

Danny and Vlad opened the door curiously, both looking concerned and curious as they heard Jitterbug laugh, "You girls almost had me there! You almost had me believing something was actually wrong! It was well-played, although I think you five might have been acting a little _too _anxious! Work on that next time!"

Emma frowned indignantly, "But it's true! We're not joking this time, Jitterbug!"

"Yeah, we actually saw a ghost!" Gwen chimed in angrily.

"Oh, please! After that first night during dinner when you five nearly gave the chef a heart attack when you burst in screaming a ridiculous story about a ghost bear with an _appetite for soup_ that was outside and made him spill the main course all over himself—"

"Oh-ho, yeah, that was a good one! Poor cook was washing tomato broth out of his hat and apron for _hours_!" Gwen chuckled, momentarily forgetting the situation and giving a high-five to Tanya, getting lost in the reverie of the well-performed prank on the jittery chef.

"—And it turned out to be a _hoax_! And after that, when you snuck into the chef's quarters and covered him in flour and white paint to make him believe he had _died _in his sleepand that he was a _ghost!"_

"Pfft! We told you that we didn't do that!" Sadie protested in a tone that said otherwise as she blushed furiously, her shifty eyes darting around the cabin while she shrank in demeanor, "Honestly, the way you just blame _us _for everything is... pfft... I'm hurt!"

"Although _how _he actually fell for that one is beyond me..." Taylor muttered under her breath.

Gwen replied thoughtfully to the youngest, holding her chin in her hand, "Yeah, well, I couldn't believe he fell for the soup-eating bear one _either, _but you know... he _is _really gullible... and fun to torture—" she added in a quieter more thoughtful tone, only intending for her fellow campers to hear but Jitterbug apparently still heard, seeing as she glowered down at them and folded her arms.

"And last night when you attacked those two poor gentlemen with pillows," the counselor interrupted and pointed over to the two hybrids without even looking at them, "making a mess of the cabin with feathers everywhere—and destroying perfectly good pillows, I might add—claiming that they're the characters of a foolish ghost story!

"And _before that, _when you—"

"_Yeah, yeah,_ we get the point, Jitterbug..." Sadie mumbled, her guilty gaze glued to the floor as she prodded at a knothole in one of the planks with her toe.

She sighed and rolled her eyes up at the ceiling, lightly laughing before concluding, "After all that, do you think I'm going to believe that you've truly seen a ghost? And... not to mention the fact that... _there's—no—such—things—as—ghosts!_"

Vlad shifted his gaze sideways and down at Danny, who had a cocky grin plastered across his face with half-lidded eyes; none of the others noticed this, of course, since none of them were paying them any heed at the moment. However, the two smiled silently at the display as they waited to be acknowledged.

The five begrudgingly let the subject go, frowning furiously as they realized that the adult wasn't going to listen to them. Not that they could blame her... They _had, _perhaps, played one prank too many during the past few days alone!

"Now..." the counselor slowly said, rubbing the back of her head lazily as she peered at the clock on the wall, "Since the panning activity is almost over, you guys should just go outside and enjoy the fresh air! It's free-time for an hour and a half before we start the hike, so you can just do whatever until we go. As for me, you're probably not going to see me until afterwards, since I'm giving Mr. Masters and Danny a ride to the airport."

Finally they seemed to realize that the two were in the same building. "Aw... leaving so soon? You only just _got _here!" Sadie asked sadly.

"Are you sure you don't wanna stay?" Tanya inquired.

"Now, now...If you were lost for who-knows-how-long in the woods, you would want to go home, too! Go on out!" Jitterbug waved them out, the girls saying their good-byes as they did so.

"It was great meeting you two—oh, and sorry for attacking you!" Taylor laughed as she was the last one to leave.

Vlad shook his head, "Oh, it's all water under the bridge! Don't worry yourselves!"

The door shut behind them and Vlad's smile almost abruptly vanished, replaced by a look of aggravation. _Yes, don't worry yourselves... You're quite lucky that I've settled with Daniel's form of punishment... Otherwise... _Thankfully he was turned away from Jitterbug at the time so she didn't see the dark look on his face. As they too left the cabin, they started to follow the counselor. He quickly wiped the look off into a pleasant smile before either Danny or the counselor noticed as Jitterbug spoke.

"Pfft... superstitious girls... Well, the car is ready to go... But it's down in a lot by the nearest highway, so about a mile or two down that trail," Jitterbug nodded and pointed down to the western end of the campsite, where the start of a wide, gravelly, and uneven road could be seen. "It had to be that far away because all of the counselors' cars and trucks would clash with the 'no-technology' atmosphere, you know what I mean?"

"Really, that's just fine; do you know how long the drive will be?" Danny asked, already looking forward to arriving there. The sooner they got there, the sooner they'd be back home and he wouldn't be the only unfortunate one to have to deal with the fruit loop!

The counselor pondered the question, "Hmm... maybe around two hours of a drive? It might be a little more or less, you know, but you get the general idea."

Danny pressed his lips into a tight line as he heard this. He _wasn't_ looking forward to a two-hour-long drive sitting next to his billionaire archenemy with someone he barely knew in the driver's seat. You could say that the atmosphere would be quite awkward. Especially when that billionaire archenemy was trying to play the loving uncle card on him and all the surrounding people; yeah, the prospect was nauseating him already...

* * *

><p>The car ride was true to the camp counselor's word; well, it lasted <em>exactly<em> two hours and twelve minutes, but she _did _say that it could vary, right? However, it wasn't quite as awkward as he had thought, since the woman in front kept a conversation going almost the whole way. It somewhat took Danny's attention off of the whole situation.

Jitterbug dropped them off in the city at Vlad's request, since the man said that they'd probably stay at a hotel until the next flight was available. With their good-byes said, they parted ways as the counselor started the long journey back to Camp Copper Hills and Danny and Vlad stopped at the nearest restaurant for dinner, which just so happened to be a nice burger place that Danny and his family often went to for special occasions. It was a pleasant surprise when the teen found that the franchise branched out to this state.

As soon as they were finished, Danny tapped the fingers of his right hand impatiently against the table, clicking his tongue, "Plasmius, why are we waiting? The sooner we get back home the better!"

"Why are you acting nervous, Daniel." Vlad asked as he wiped his hands off. Well, not asked… more like he stated.

"You got that right," the boy snorted, rubbing the palms of his hands together, "I bet the ghosts are running out of control by now! I'm not looking forward to it!"

As if in reply to that remark, the television hanging in the corner of the restaurant tuned in onto the news after the end of the football game, a male reporter stating in a serious tone, "_We have breaking news—"_ The words 'breaking news' drew Danny's attention and he slowly leaned sideways slightly to peer around Vlad's head and catch a glimpse of the screen. The older of the two blinked and turned around to see what had caught the boy's eye. The report went on as Danny took a long and unending sip from his drink, saying, "_—from a small town called Amity Park. Live coverage is available from the outskirts of the city; as you can see, there appears to be a large and dark green thundercloud shrouding the city and the area around it—high winds have been reported, along with unusual seismic activity. Earthquakes first started occurring in the area early in the morning last Tuesday and again in the mid-afternoon the following Friday. These factors are devastating the inhabitants of the area, and the source of all of the terror is still unknown. However, Amity Park has a history of the supernatural, and many believe this to be the result of an angered spirit." _

Danny spat the soda from his mouth across the table, spraying Vlad as a result. The other jerked around as the mist of beverage made contact with his skin, "_Ugh! Daniel!_ Why you little—!"

"Ssh!" Danny waved off the irate man with wide eyes as he kept them glued to the screen, where it showed a bird's-eye-view of Amity Park. The ghost shield was extended around the town, the green light radiating off of it and pulsating slightly. A rumbling sound resounded from inside, lightning crackling and leaping around the dome and striking at the shield as if the storm was determined to crack it. He should've known better! So Vlad _was _right; being dropped into the middle of nowhere was part of some ghost's scheme to get him out of the way! Danny sighed, _I wonder who it is this time... _Hang on... the shield was shielding _in _the cloud that was mentioned. Why would his parents lock _in _the ghost that was doing this to them? That was probably just angering said spirit even _more, _so it was making the people of Amity Park pay for it. Unless they thought that by keeping it in, they were doing the world a favor...

The reporter paused and heaved a deep sigh before bitterly saying as if he regretted doing so, "_Among these believers is ghost hunter... Jack Fenton—Amity Park resident," _The camera flipped from the sight of the chaotic storm back to the newsroom where the reporter and Danny's father were seated, Jack smiling determinedly with a large ectogun by his side. The reporter glanced up at the ceiling before turning to the large orange jump-suited man, "_Jack, it's a shame your wife couldn't make it as well to the studio for this interview, but—"_

"_Yeah, Lance... she's still holding up the fort at home and stuff!" _

"_But what is your input on the whole situation? The disappearance of your son and the mayor are still plaguing the minds of the whole city, and now this is added? Especially the absence of the mayor at this time is quite a predicament. Cameras still haven't been able to catch this 'ghost' on film yet, and there's no actual proof that this storm is supernaturally caused—even though it _is _behaving quite abnormally."_

"_Well, pal, Maddie and me are working on that; that spook is being really sneaky at the moment and flying undetected under the radar but don't be fooled! It's there!" _Jack boldly declared.

"_Alright... so I know that the disappearance of your son and the mayor are still plaguing the minds of the whole city, and now this... ahem... 'ghost attack...' is added to it? Especially the absence of the mayor at this time is a predicament. Without leadership it looks like Amity Park has quite a lot on its shoulders!"_

Jack nodded and intrepidly said, "_Yeah, but none of you need fear! None of you need to as long as the Fenton family is on the job; we'll defeat that ghost using our state-of-the-art equipment—" _ He hefted up the large weapon that was hanging at his side and patted it fondly. However, the sensitive gun reacted by shooting a large powerful green beam of ecto-energy upwards.

The reporter cried out in surprise and dove under the desk the two were sitting at as the beam sailed through the space his head had taken up only a millisecond prior and collided with a light fixture that was off-screen. It was obvious it was a light fixture though, seeing as it rained sparks down on the two of them. Jack sheepishly blinked as the reporter slowly clambered back up to a kneeling position, leaning his arms and head over the desk and panting heavily; he slowly reached up and pinched a hair that was on fire between his thumb and forefinger before saying loudly with a disgruntled expression, "_Thank you, Jack Fenton, that was most enlightening; now we'll take a few minutes for a commercial break..."_

As the television switched to commercials, the few people who were watching chuckled mildly and shook their heads—that is, all who were watching except for Danny and Vlad.

"Come on, Daniel. We'd best be on our way to catch that plane if we want to get back..." Vlad irritatedly hissed. Well, he was right all along! Danny's heroics really were at fault here, and he was unfortunate to get pulled into the mess that the boy's enemies had created! He had to restrain himself from snapping the younger one's neck in public. The man was quite ticked off at this new discovery and the fact that before he heard it his young rival had decided to spray soda all over him didn't help. What a mess this was turning out to be! A horrible mess that as mayor _he _would have to clean up when he returned!

"_What? _ A _plane_? That's not good enough! I'll go faster than that; I need to get back and show that ghost who's boss right now!" Danny wrathfully hissed in a loud whisper as he pounded the table with a clenched fist, common sense having abandoned him at the moment. That whisper was so loud, in fact, that Vlad had to shush him in a harsh tone. They were starting to get peculiar stares from the other customers.

"_Not so loud!_" he insisted as the others around them shrugged and turned back to their own business. "Look, I know that you're as agile as can be... How fast can you go again? One hundred... _twelve_ miles per?" He shuddered inwardly; he vividly remembered that fact from the first time Danny and Maddie had 'visited' his chalet; just thinking about it made him want to rub his aching jaw!

"Last time you checked... It's actually around double that now." Danny paused in his rage to proudly declare.

"_Really?_" Vlad inquired, his curiosity peaked for a millisecond. He wouldn't have known because he hadn't been paying as close of attention to the boy's agility lately. He brushed aside his interest for the moment as the teen nodded with folded arms and he turned back to his original train of thought, "Anyways," he continued in a soft tone, leaning in towards him, "it's not that I'm doubting your speed, nothing like that. And I know that your impulsiveness undoubtedly makes you want to _rush _off to the aid of Amity Park, but don't take offense to this: think. No matter how fast you can go, that airplane can go roughly _three. Times. Your. Speed_." He stiffly ended.

Danny's furious demeanor slowly deflated, "Oh... yeah."

The billionaire shrugged and chuckled as he pulled out a tip for the waiter, "Not to mention that it would be a blasted waste of energy going there by flying _and _I'm not sure if I'm up to a flight that long either, what with only just barely receiving my powers back."

"Oh, you have your powers back?" Danny asked innocently.

"Don't play coy, Daniel, you know as well as I do that I have my powers back! Hmm, and now that we've settled that, I guess it's time that we be off! Shall we?"

* * *

><p>Super Danny: YES! Now I will be able to bring justice to that horrible fiend!<p>

**Hmm... well, I'm sorry if the news report is a little vague on the location of Amity Park... I don't really recall if the show ever actually did specify on the exact location of it, but I'm inferring it's in one of the states that border Wisconsin. Maybe Illinois? I don't really know, so I apologize for that. **

**Yes, well, finally our two favorite half-ghosts are on their way back home (_finally!) _and aware of the troubles going on there! **

George: However, those two are not out of the woods just yet...

Fred: Metaphorically speaking of course!

George: Haha, didja get that? Danny and Vlad just got out of that forest, and I said...

Fred: Yeah, and out of all the forest-related humor, you had to go for _that..._

*both laugh*

**Now, all cheesy jokes aside... they have no idea what's in store for _them_...! I'll update as soon as possible; and don't forget to review, peoples! I want your input! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have two halfas to beat up—er, I mean... muses to annoy? Er... the climax to write... Pretend you didn't hear those first two bits...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello, I would like to say thank you to all of the reviewers! You guys always make my day; I'm just saying!**

**Now, just so you know, this chapter's going to be long... er than normal. At least in my perspective. You see, I've never been the type that writes long chapters for some reason, so this is new to me! Haha! Perhaps that'll change with time, since ever since I started writing (in general, so not just fanfiction), my chapters have steadily been growing longer and longer, so yeah. So, yeah, this chapter is around twice the average length, maybe even more.**

**I now give you the beginning of the end for SotF! *sniffles* It's been great having you all listen to it! Also, just a little side-note—this chapter sort of contains a small spoiler for Phantom Planet. Just a small one, but I just thought I'd warn you so if any of you haven't seen it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

"Okay... where in the world—er, I mean Ghost Zone—did you get us to?" Danny corrected himself, landing on a small island in the midst of the sea of empty green space.

Plasmius landed beside him, looking around in all directions before saying, "I'm trying to figure that out, Daniel, so _shut it _while I'm concentrating!"

They had had to wait a day for the next flight, which made Danny all the more outraged. He wanted desperately to get back to Amity Park, but all flights to Amity Park or any city near it were cancelled due to the ghost-caused catastrophe. The nearest city that was still receiving flights was Madison, Wisconsin. Vlad decided that it would probably be the best option anyway. From there, they could then go to his old mansion and get to the Fenton household via the Ghost Zone. The two could slip past the barrier of the ghost shield without being noticed by the ghost that was undoubtedly searching for a weak spot in the defenses. That even cut miles and miles off of their journey since the entrance to Vlad's and the Fenton's portals weren't terribly far apart. That was a nice plan, but now the problem was just to get there.

The short white-haired ghost folded his arms, "Well, this is just great…. First we get lost in some forest and now once we finally get out of that, we get lost in the _Ghost Zone _thanks to _your _expertise! And by now it's probably like what—eleven something? I'm exhausted!" He glared with his bright green eyes up at the taller ghost.

"Didn't I tell you to shut it? Stop your whining; we would already be there if it weren't for the fact that a pack of ghosts recognized you and chased us into a part of the zone I don't recognize at the moment!" Vlad turned back to peering around the desolate plane as Danny rolled his eyes. Plasmius frowned slightly, squinting off into the distance as he tried to remember all the twists and turns they had taken. However, it was hard to recall them all since they had been fleeing so fast from said ghosts that it would be impossible to keep track. Eventually they managed to shake the ghosts off; but when they lost them, he couldn't tell. What was worse was that their heads were still slightly spinning and their sense of direction got a bit disoriented. And, with that said, that left them where they were at the current moment.

Danny sighed before sitting down heavily on the ground, putting up a gloved hand to prop up his head as he made himself comfortable. "You know," he said loudly, "It's not _my _fault that we ran away from those ghosts—I wanted to stay and fight them off, but nooooo! You insisted on _running_—which, by the way, is _so _not like you!"

"Did you see the size of them? I may be strong, but I know when not to fight! I'm not stupid, Daniel!" One of them in particular looked an awful lot like the Behemoth that had guarded the Skeleton Key. Plasmius didn't have fond memories of the creature, considering that they consisted of defeat and the inside of its stomach! "Now, let's see... We were near the entrance to my portal and then turned left..." he pointed in said direction, using his hands to make sense of it all. "Then we went straight for a couple hundred yards... and then turned right..."

"I still say I could've taken them..." Danny muttered under his breath.

Vlad apparently didn't hear. "Wait just a minute... on second thought I might just know where we are." He said after several minutes of staring around. Danny looked up, raising an eyebrow curiously. "We're on the outskirts of..."

"_Klemper's _territory... oh, boy." Danny finished Plasmius's statement as he spied a refrigerator door floating in the distance. He stood up immediately and chuckled a little as he told the elder, "Even if Klemper's a bit of a pushover, it's better just not to be noticed at all! Come on; I know where to go from here—" Danny turned around to fly off, only to slam into what looked to him from his close proximity to be a white brick wall. A white _pinstriped _brick wall... _how odd..._ the boy thought dazed.

"Now, _wait _just a minute there, punk. Where do you think you're going?" a low and gruff voice asked from above Danny.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut, wincing as he slowly backed away from the 'brick wall,' "Hello, Walker," he forced on his best amiable expression, "Just fancied a flight through the Zone with my good buddy here, Plas..." he trailed off, realizing he was gesturing at the empty space Vlad had previously been occupying; an irritated scowl came across his features, "...mi...us. _Really, _Vlad." He said dryly.

The warden folded his arms as Danny sighed and pasted on a bland grin, twiddling his thumbs, "Now what about you, Walker? What brings you and your... friends... here?" The young half-ghost asked conversationally and blinked at Walker's recruits, who were currently blocking the path ahead.

_When I catch that cheesehead sorry excuse of a halfa, I'm going to _pulverize _him!_ Danny thought murderously. Why, that pompous jerk must've gone on towards the portal and left him with the crackpot warden who was out to get him!

"Ha, ha," Walker mocked angrily, "You made a funny, Phantom."

"What do you mean?" the teen asked sincerely.

The tall ghost erected himself up to full height, beginning to curse angrily under his breath so Danny had to lean forward slightly to comprehend, "Stupid... what was I _supposed _to do?... High security prisoner with the best guards on duty around her cell, yet the brat _still_ managed to slip out of my fingers..."

Danny blinked and stared with slightly parted lips at the disgruntled ghost in front of him who continued with his ranting. Was he talking about... him? _He _had slipped out of Walker's clutches time and time again, but he wasn't sure if this was the real reason for the warden's anger. If that were the case, he guessed that he would already have been captured; that, and the fact that the warden had called said prisoner '_her_,' not '_he._' Yeah, definitely not him.

He had just been about to interject and question what Walker was talking about, but had no need to, for the jailer seemed to snap out of it and realize that he was being sidetracked by the young hybrid. "No more stalling, punk! I've been scouring the Zone night and day now for over three weeks now; no breaks, no shut-eye, searching for that blasted girl... Even though I'm extremely disappointed I haven't found her yet, I guess I could settle for arresting you today and then get back to my search..."

"Wait a minute; what girl? Does this have anything to do with that ghost who's..." _attacking Amity? _Danny finished the thought in his head, seemingly ignoring Walker's threat of arrest.

"...who just escaped from my prison and made me the laughing stock of the Ghost Zone? Yes! And what's worse, the Ancients have come knocking at my door, blaming _me _for this mess... ME! As if it was _my _fault that I couldn't prevent the little pain in the neck from creating a crater out of the east wing and stunning all of my guards—" Walker clenched his fists, not seeming to notice that he was getting sidetracked again. However, this wasn't even Danny's intentions, since he was desperate to hear information—even if it came from such an undesirable source.

"The _east wing_, do tell..." a familiar drawling voice said from behind Walker, causing both Danny and the warden to jump slightly.

Walker twisted around to see who had spoken, just in time to see the figure of Vlad Plasmius reappear. The vampiric ghost hovered casually in the space behind the jailer as if he didn't even consider him a threat. However, his demeanor seemed a little more weak than usual, his cheeks a shade of blue that was a little more opaque than the rest while he had a drop of sweat slowly trickling down the side of his face. Being in his ghost form for so long could have been taking its toll on him, but before it seemed that he was holding himself together fairly well until now.

Walker seemed a little at loss for words to say, wondering how the older hybrid had managed to get so close to him without himself or his guards being alerted. He turned angrily towards them for an explanation, but they seemed a little confused themselves. The warden opened and closed his mouth before saying, "Enough games; now you _both _are coming with me! Get them!"

The guards raised their crossbows and aimed them, but instead of at the two half-ghosts, they were pointed at Walker.

"What? Not me, you idiots! Them!" Walker yelled as soon as he realized they were aiming at the wrong target.

"Mmm... They sure don't seem to think so, Warden." Plasmius hummed happily, brushing invisible specks of dust from his jumpsuit. "Or should I say _I _don't think so?"

Danny looked incredulously between the guards and the elder halfa at first, but then understanding slowly came upon him. A wide grin stretched across his face and he laughed. He couldn't believe it! The man actually had the energy to do it!** (1)**

Walker went for his own crossbow, but found that it was missing; Plasmius dangled it in front of the jailer so it was out of reach but in clear view at the same time.

"How dare you? That's against the rules..." Walker muttered, fingering his rule book in a flustered manner.

"Well, that's too bad... I'm not one who plays by the rules." The real Vlad said apologetically.

"Now, why don't you sit down before you hurt yourself and tell us about this girl from the east wing?" one of Vlad's duplicates said smugly from inside of one of the guards.

The original Vlad smiled as Walker glanced back up at him. A pink glow was starting to build in the hand not holding the crossbow and he nodded at him. Walker sighed and slouched in defeat, realizing that if he tried anything, thirty arrows would strike him first.

"You don't know... _anything_. You're pulling my leg, aren't you? Where have you two been? Under a rock?" Walker asked in disbelief.

"You could say that." Danny replied, floating over towards him.

The warden rolled his eyes and started off bitterly, "Her name's Melania Dark—"

Vlad's head snapped up in recognition and he groaned, "Oh—_her. _Well isn't this just perfect?"

"You've got that right! Pariah's girl."

"You mean that she's Pariah Dark's daughter?" Danny blinked rapidly. That little tidbit was hard to digest.

"That's what I just said, punk. The brat's been under custody ever since the first time her father was beaten and never left the prison grounds, but she somehow forced her way out of the _east wing!_"

"I don't get it; what is it about the east wing that makes it so important?" Danny asked.

"The east wing is only the part of the prison that contains all of the high-security prisoners! We're all dang lucky that none of the others got out, even though the one that did is bad enough as it is." Walker exclaimed.

"Continue," Vlad nodded.

"Apparently during the night three weeks ago she somehow broke her cuffs and was able to use her powers to implode the cell she was in."

"How?" Vlad snapped urgently.

Walker's cheeks went slightly more opaque at being interrupted so many times, "Well, _I _don't have all the details!"

Vlad sighed in consent.

"Then," Walker paused to compose himself, "she broke into my office and stole a really powerful artifact from my possession before fleeing the premises! We haven't seen her since. Why she decided to wait until now to break out, I don't know. Maybe her father's recent defeat. It's not like I would tell you even if I knew, now would I?" The jailer stated mockingly. "The details are confidential, anyway." Walker whispered venomously, pride already punctured because of revealing this much.

Plasmius thoughtfully asked, "What, ahem, 'powerful artifact' would that be, may I ask?"

"None of your business, punk!" the jailer snapped back.

"Alright, have it your way," Vlad held up his hands in defense, "But as for where she is, I believe that Daniel and I have a pretty good idea of; don't you agree, Daniel?"

Danny nodded, scowling and folding his arms, "That's just _great. _Now can we _go_? I'd rather get back and not be seen by Klemper. 'Kay?"

"Wait! You know where she is? Tell me! Where is she?" Walker shouted.

Vlad shrugged before smirking and slyly replying, "_None of your business_."

"Why you—" Walker began as his face contorted. Vlad nodded to Danny and they began to fly full speed in the direction of the Fenton Portal.

They'd left Walker in the dust as Vlad sniffed slightly, "Thank heaven we got out of there when we did. I don't think I could've held up those duplicates for much longer than that. What a lovely state our friend Melania has left me in!"

"Tell me about it... When I get a hold of her, I'm going to kill her! Dumping me in the middle of a forest with no supplies is _one _thing, but dumping me in the middle of a forest with no supplies and with only _you _for company is pure _**evil**_!" Danny smirked at the ghost flying next to him.

Vlad gasped in insincere shock, "I'm hurt that you would _say _something like that, Daniel! How could you? I thought that you _loved _spending quality time with your _Uncle Vlad?_"

"Quality time, my foot!" Danny retorted.

Vlad laughed, "True, I'd rather have spent it in a different way, but any quality time with my little badger is _good _quality time with my little badger!"

"In _your _twisted mind; only _you _would think that getting stranded by some evil ex-ghost princess in the middle-of-nowhere wandering for two weeks is time well-spent!" Danny scathingly replied. Vlad shrugged innocently.

"Ah, here we are," Danny said as they slowed to a stop in front of the large metal doors of the portal, "Let's just hope that it's Jazz and not Mom and Dad that answers—assuming that anyone answers at all."

He turned towards the door and called out his sister's name, "Jazz! Psst! _Jazz!_"

No response.

Danny then started to rap smartly on the door.

* * *

><p>Jazz gave a slight shudder as she applied rubbing alcohol to a cloth and lightly patted down the oozing scrapes on her shins. Several wounds had reopened due to her carelessness and the last thing she wanted was for these to become infected. She gave a discomforted groan at the resulting stinging sensation as the rubbing alcohol killed the germs. The sound reverberated throughout the darkened house, since the house was now very quiet. It was really late at night and only the dim light that shone off of the controls of the portal and the soft fluorescent green glow of the ecto-filtrator in the corner.<p>

The deputy mayor had ordered the official evacuation of everyone in town. It was on Jack and Maddie's instructions that they sneak families out one at a time; after all—it wouldn't be very smart to have them all leave at once and be seen by the ghost. It wasn't a good idea. So, for the past week or so they'd snuck out one by one, darting from alley to alley until they got to the other side of the shield, where the rest of the city was camping out. Fortunately, none of them were noticed.

It was quite odd though: the fact that Melania was just letting them leave without causing any trouble. That was unsettling to Jazz, since she wasn't certain if this was just a game the ghost was cooking up. After all, she knew quite a bit about psychology. It could just be a ploy into getting the people to feel a false sense of security before striking. Jazz didn't like that idea.

Anyways, by now the only ones left in Amity Park were her and her parents, who had insisted on staying to fight the ghost that was plaguing the town. Currently Jack and Maddie were smuggling the last couple of families from Amity though, while she sat guarding the portal in the lab.

The portal had been temporarily knocked out of commission after the doors had been wrenched off of their hinges and the power went out. Jazz could only assume that Melania hadn't come back for that very reason. However, what she _didn't _know was that it was up and running again. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton had fixed the doors and gotten it to work again. The ghost wasn't aware of this, though. The electricity was still down, and the portal was only working because of the emergency generator that the Fenton family possessed. She thought she was still trapped, evidently.

_In a way, she is, though._ Jazz thought smugly. _There isn't anyway she's going to get past the genetic lock _and _the new ghost-resistant metal doors that Mom and Dad installed _**and **_the new shield surrounding the house! _After seeing what the ghost girl did to the doors, Jack and Maddie had replaced them with stronger doors that were made of similar materials to the Specter Deflector, though around ten times more powerful. Once touch and that creepy ghost girl would be fried! Also, there was the fact that in their spare time her parents had made extra anti-ghost weapons, including another ghost shield, even though this one was only big enough to surround the house. So, as long as they stayed inside the house, Melania wouldn't be able to get to them. However, there was a problem with them being the only ones left with that ghost: the shield and the portal could only be opened by them. It would be like leaving the keys in the cell of the convict—with no one there to stop that convict from unlocking the door to the outside world! They couldn't stay inside there forever; they would starve.

The redhead sixteen-year-old hung her head, shaking it in annoyance. However much she loved her parents, she thought that they needed to learn when to stop trying to be involved. If she could only persuade them that they needed to evacuate and leave the hunting to Valerie Gray... It was apparent now that Danny wasn't going to be showing any time soon, so if anyone had a chance at beating this ghost, it would be the Red Huntress. Unfortunately Valerie and her father were on vacation in Hawaii; this was because of the raise that Damian Gray had received due to the recent success with Axion Labs (The ghost intruder weapons seemed to be doing their job efficiently.). Valerie wouldn't be returning for another week. Jazz snorted; yet another reason to hate the boss of Axion Labs, Vlad Masters.

"Speaking of which, I wonder where that fruit loop is! Where is our _great mayor _in our _time of need?"_ Jazz began out loud with a scathing tone. "I _still _think that he's the one responsible for Danny missing!"

She missed her brother... Where could he be? It wasn't like him to just vanish without a trace, much less for two weeks. That fact made her all the more certain this wasn't on accident. She swore that she could almost hear her younger sibling's voice.

"_Jazz! Psst! __**Jazz!**_" he seemed to be calling her name. It was faint and muffled, as if coming from behind a wall or other obstacle.

As Danny's voice called to her again, Jazz scrunched up her eyebrows, quite unsure if she was imagining things or not. She looked at the door to the Ghost Portal, where the source of the voice seemed to be coming from. A dull tapping noise that echoed slightly with the ring of metal began, and then an electric zapping sound followed by a muffled yelp of pain.

"_Aaah!" _

Jazz slowly got up and hesitantly wandered over to the door before placing her ear so near the cold metal that the side of her face was almost touching it. "Danny?" she asked incredulously. _I've lost my mind..._ Jazz thought bluntly as she heard a silence on the other side. "...Is that you?"

"_Yes it's me, Jazz!" _the voice on the other side yelled, this time sounding louder since Jazz was closer to the source. "_Could you open the door, please?"_

A crash came from behind Jazz so that she jumped and turned around just in time to see her younger brother's friends lying in a heap at the foot of the closet. They had apparently been using the closet for a hiding place and had fallen out as a result of shock, bringing all the mops, brooms, and cleaning supplies with them. "Danny?" both Sam and Tucker asked in unison.

"What? Sam, Tucker, w-what are you doing here? You're s-supposed to have evacuated with the rest of your families!" Jazz stammered out.

"_Could you please just __**open the door?**_" Danny's irritated voice screamed at them.

"It's a long story—we'll tell you later." Sam hastily replied, nodding to the ghost portal.

"_Jasmine! Open the blasted portal __**right now**__!" _another familiar voice boomed from the other side, ringing loudly throughout the lab as he emphasized the last two words imperatively.

"Vlad?"

"Okay, okay! Hold your horses!" Jazz frowned before heading over to the controls and pressing her thumb to the scanner. The doors opened briefly, allowing the two exhausted hybrids to stumble through the opening before they shut.

Danny found himself being bombarded by suffocating hugs.

"Where were you, dude? And why are you only just getting here now?" Tucker asked demandingly.

"Yeah! Where did Vlad take you to?" Sam added.

Plasmius reverted back to Masters with an indignant expression, "_Excuse me? _Where _I _took _Daniel?_ If it's anyone's fault here, it's his!" he pointed accusingly at Danny.

Danny floated up to Vlad's eye-level indignantly, "Hey! How was I supposed to know some crazy ghost was trying to avenge her father or something like that! I don't even know the girl!" Little did the phantom know how off he was from the actual reason of her actions.

"Well, she _obviously_ knows _you_, you little fool—thanks to your amazing enemy-making skills!"

"She knows you, too, fruit loop! Don't forget that _you're _the one who actually locked him back into the sarcophagus! If you hadn't woken him in the first place, she would still be locked away in Walker's prison!"

"Who?" Jazz asked, nonplussed.

"Melania!" both Vlad and Danny paused in their argument to answer.

Vlad snapped his attention back to the teen, "Yes; well, if you hadn't blatantly attacked me, we wouldn't have been dropped into the middle-of-nowhere!"

Danny smoothly retorted, "If you hadn't purposely provoked me, I wouldn't have attacked you."

Almost immediately Vlad coolly replied, "If you hadn't been paranoid about my blasted intentions, I wouldn't have provoked you."

Sam, Jazz, and Tucker stared at this display; amazing, wasn't it, how immature the two became around each other? They could only guess at what had been happening with them for the past couple of weeks.

"What a lame excuse! I had good reason to be suspicious about your motives—since when have you ever proved otherwise?"

Tucker interrupted, "Okay, lovely debate going on here, but I'm completely lost."

Danny lowered himself to the ground, turned back into his human form and blushed slightly, tapping his fingers on the edge of a nearby table. "Oh... Sorry about that, guys."

"Where on Earth were you? Don't you know how worried you had us?" Jazz burst out before Danny could respond. She then whipped around to face Vlad, scolding him as well.

"And _you!_ How dare you kidnap my little brother, you fruit loop? You disappear with him mysteriously for _weeks_, and finally have the nerve to show up when your town has need of your leadership?" she sneered.

The man's jaw had dropped as he stared at the fuming teenager. Sam and Tucker stood by her side, glaring in agreement at the adult. Danny, however, found it quite comical to see his overbearing sister give his archenemy the old 'what-for.'

"No, no, no, Jazz—it's not like that!" he laughed.

"Don't give me that, Danny Fenton! The last time I saw you, you and Vlad were fighting in here and then the both of you _'suddenly' _disappear with the portal standing wide open? What else are we supposed to think?" she yelled.

Danny chuckled, "Well, when you put it _that _way I guess it could look like that, but this is all just some big misunderstanding. Let me explain—"

A sound came from upstairs, signaling the return of Mr. and Mrs. Fenton. Jack's voice could barely be heard booming from upstairs. Vlad glared up through the ceiling at the sound of his 'friend's' voice before looking down at the four teenagers and coolly saying, "If you'll excuse me, I believe I must go up and give them an explanation for Daniel's and my absence... continue on without me." He slowly made his way up the stairs, still a little simmering at how fast those little brats came to conclusions—all four of them!

As soon as the man disappeared from view, Sam turned slowly to Danny and uttered, "What are you wearing?" She gestured at the large and loose tee-shirt that he wore.

Danny looked down at his torso as if to check for himself. Looking back up at her, he said, "A shirt?"

"_Nooo, _really?" the goth asked mock-earnestly.

"Long story." Danny's eyelids lowered to half-mast as Sam, Tucker, and Jazz chuckled mildly. Danny turned to his sister and friends and gave them an abridged version of the events that occurred, from the time that the mysterious portal dropped the two hybrids into the deep remote woods to discovering the trail and coming across the camp, and then finally to the Ghost Zone and through the Fenton Portal. As he concluded, he heard a loud commotion from upstairs, and figured that Vlad was putting on a show and giving details of his made-up story.

"I also heard that everyone's supposed to have evacuated, right?" Danny asked. Jazz nodded and Danny sighed, "And Mom and Dad insisted on staying, right?"

"Yeah, you know them, although they tried to get me to leave; they thought it was too dangerous, but I refused. I'm not about to let our parents get killed because of their obsessions! So, Melania's the Ghost King's daughter, you say?" Jazz asked curiously, slightly switching topics.

Danny nodded, staring upward at the ceiling as if he could see through it to the cloudy skies outside, probing for signs of the ghost. "Mm hmm... she must still be angry at me and Vlad for defeating Pariah... Well, she sort of succeeded in making me suffer for it! Why did she come _here, _anyway?"

"She's a lot like her father," Tucker sighed in a bored manner, "She wants to take over the world. These ghosts aren't really original, are they?"

"They're obsessive, what else do you expect?" Sam asked, rolling her eyes and smiling.

"Ah..." Danny nodded in understanding, "I guess that's why you decided to lock her _in, _not _out. _Well, since she's so set on following in Daddy's footsteps, she'll be _beaten _the same as with him! She messed with the wrong ghost when she dropped me into that forest!" There was a small silence for a minute as Danny paced around the room and the others watched him. Suddenly Danny stopped, staring into space.

Sam and Tucker seemed to shrink as both Danny and Jazz slowly turned to stare at them. Danny spoke to his older sister, "So, I think we've established where Vlad and I have been for the past couple weeks; and now I think I know enough of what's been going on at Amity to know that everyone's evacuated." Jazz nodded, folding her arms and staring at Sam and Tucker pointedly.

"Now, what were you two exactly trying to accomplish by hiding in that closet from everyone? Find the passageway to Narnia?" Danny asked his two best friends wittily.

"Oh, the banter; it never ends..." Sam muttered.

"Sorry, it's a hero's habit; must be ingrained in me." Danny smiled mischievously.

Tucker smiled and rolled his eyes, "Well, we didn't want to leave Jazz and your parents to fight that jerky ghost alone, so Sam and I... well, we..." It seemed that the techno geek couldn't think of the right words to say.

Sam took up the baton for him, "At first we left with our parents, but then decided to come back. So, we snuck out and into your house last night and hid in the closet while Jazz and your parents were out."

"So I'm guessing that both of your parents don't know you're here." Danny stated flatly.

"You know the answer to that!" Sam said.

Footsteps were coming down the stairs. Danny and Jazz's eyes widened as they recognized the heavy tread of their father and the light footsteps of their mother, accompanied by the dull tapping of Vlad's slacks against the linoleum. They sure were coming down fast! Without a second thought they shoved Sam and Tucker back in the closet and slammed the door behind them, kicking in the supplies that had fallen out.

Danny was crushed once again in a tight embrace. "Danny, we're so glad you're safe!" Maddie sobbed with delight and that was the only thing he could decipher since she then started talking while crying, temporarily losing coherency.

Jack, who Danny realized could be the only one with a hug that vice-like, said happily, "Yeah, Danny; Vladdie here told us all what happened! We'll show that ghost for taking you two away from us!"

"Yes, it was cruel what she did! She only wanted Vlad out of the way so she could take over Amity Park, but also taking you, too!" Maddie agreed. "She's made such a disaster of this town, it hurts my eyes just looking at it!"

The teenager glanced up confused at Vlad through his parents' arms and got a small nod from the man in return. Well, what Vlad must have told them was starting to come to him in pieces. And ironically it wasn't too far off from the truth. Just switch the roles. His parents continued fussing over him for a couple moments, but Danny was hardly paying attention.

"I'm glad I'm back too!" Danny gasped as his parents let go of him.

Maddie gushed out, "Oh, Vlad—first saving Danny after the whole Pariah Dark incident, and now keeping him safe in the wilderness for two whole weeks! How can we repay you?" It seemed that with this new discovery that the irritation she showed that usually came with Vlad's presence was nowhere to be seen.

The man had a debonair grin on his face; evidently he was enjoying basking in the praise of his love, "Now, Maddie, you don't have to do a thing—after all, I love him as if he were my own!" Danny rolled his eyes but didn't show any other outward signs of hostility at the comment. Honestly, the man could be so sappy...

Danny let out a wide yawn, remembering that he was quite tired. Maddie noticed this and paused to look at the ghost-shaped clock on the wall above them and said, "Oh, dear, it's one-thirty... You both must be exhausted; I think we could _all_ do with a good-night's rest! Vlad, since it's too dangerous to walk in the streets, you're welcome to sleep in the—"

"In Danny's room!" Jack chimed in excitedly.

"Guest room upstairs." Maddie finished.

"Yes, the guest room will be fine. Thank you for your hospitality!"

Danny didn't really stay till the end of the conversation. Instead, he sighed and said wearily, "Ah, well, I'll see you all in the morning... I'm gonna hit the hay..."

He vaguely heard the good-nights from everyone in the room as he went up the stairs to his bedroom, gratefully taking off the camp tee-shirt and casting it onto the ground carelessly and pulling on pajamas. It was a relief to get out of the thing—he was used to baggy clothing, but definitely not _that _baggy. It made him feel even scrawnier than normal. The room was a bit stuffy, so he cracked the window to let in a draft. Danny flopped down onto his bed, the springs of the mattress creaking slightly. He sighed contentedly, almost forgetting the circumstances outside as he took a deep breath in. Finally, he was home! He found suddenly that he had drifted off before he jolted awake. The first thing he saw was the glow-in-the-dark constellations he had designed on his ceiling, and for a millisecond in his groggy state he thought he was in the wild again, staring up at the sky above him. He sighed and looked at the clock—it was precisely 2:15. The boy stared up at the ceiling again, listening to the creaking of the house as it relaxed and contracted with the waning temperatures.

It seemed a little too quiet for his taste. The only sounds he could hear were the crickets' slow chirping outside and the whistling of the wind rushing through his window and into the room. Amity Park may have been a small town, but there was always at least the occasional sound of a car engine or a laugh from a couple of night owl teenagers that were strolling home from a late-night movie. Danny finally decided that the room was cool enough and went over to the window to slide the windowpane shut. What he saw when he peered through the pane made him immediately snap awake as his mouth dried up.

Disaster was right! The town looked like a giant lawn-mower had run over it. A thick fog blanketed the streets. Most buildings were damaged and crumbling while some were even completely razed. The newly-paved roads were cracked and looked unbelievably worn out. Streetlamps were lying on the ground, their lightbulbs cracked. Danny tapped the windowsill, tracing a finger down a crack that he hadn't noticed in it until now. Fenton Works, it seemed to be, was lucky to still be standing in such mint condition. Now that it was up close and personal, it looked a lot worse than the news camera had made it look like. However, even as the young hybrid's eyes flashed green and searched the skies for the ghost responsible, Melania was nowhere to be seen.

He made up his mind. It could wait no longer—if he was going to beat the Ghost King's daughter, it was better to face her sooner than later. She'd soon be figuring out that Danny Phantom was in town once again, and that wouldn't be good. He wanted the element of surprise on his side. But... first he needed a drink.

Danny quietly opened the door to his bedroom and poked his head around the corner both ways at both of the other doors that lined the hall of the top floor. Jazz's door was slightly opened, which let a strip of light that came from Danny's opened door inside her room, but he knew that that was how she normally kept it. During summer and spring she normally kept it cracked to aid in air circulation. The guest room next to Danny's room was shut with the lights off; good, that meant Vlad was asleep. And, he was sure that his mother and father were asleep. Sure, Jack was a loud snorer, but Maddie had grown used to that over the years and could sleep through anything.

He tip-toed downstairs, skipping stairs that creaked and got down to the kitchen, but paused when he came around the bend when he noticed that a light was coming from the room. Crap, someone was awake!

"Daniel?"

Great. It was the fruit loop.

"What are you doing up?" Vlad asked curiously. He was poised by the light switch; it appeared that he had gotten up too to get a drink, but was just about to leave the kitchen.

"...Woke up, couldn't sleep," Danny fibbed, "Just thought that a drink might help. That's all."

"Okay..." Vlad narrowed his eyes slightly. Did the boy's eyelid just twitch? That was a little odd...

"'Night." Danny curtly nodded once at the man as he headed over to the cupboard and pulled out a glass.

"...Good night, Daniel." Vlad said, knowing a dismissal when he saw one. He dropped his arm from the switch and started up the stairs and disappeared around the corner.

Danny poured some water as he stared up at the place Vlad had disappeared. He didn't want the man to follow him to where he was planning to go next. The results could be disastrous. He sipped the water and leaned against the counter as he hoped that the billionaire hadn't noticed the muscle by his eye twinge; before the accident that left him half-ghost, he'd frankly never been a good liar, but that sort of changed afterwards. He sometimes, however, slipped up every now and again, this being one of those times.

He placed the glass in the fridge before going downstairs, passing by his parents' room on the way and down into the lab. He stared for a moment, considering the portal in front of him.

He saw what that ghost could do, and it was frankly freaking him out—not to mention her heritage. He really didn't want to find out what the differences between her and her father were. And he only had one chance at catching her off guard, so he didn't want to waste it. Well, this time was one of those times, he guessed. Danny knew what to do at this point.

"Time to give Clockwork a visit again, I guess." Danny mumbled under his breath as he took off and flew forward through the portal.

* * *

><p>"Yes, I know what you're here for, Danny." Clockwork said before Danny could say anything, before the boy even announced his presence. Danny opened his mouth to say something but Clockwork continued, "...But, I'm afraid I cannot help you much. The Observants would accuse me of... well, in their choice of words... of 'cheating!'"<p>

Danny opened his mouth angrily, "Ironically!"

Clockwork nodded, turning around to face him. He clearly understood what the teen was getting at.

"They ordered you to destroy me to prevent that other timeline, claiming that if nothing was done to stop it, the consequences would be too severe! Well, what they're seeming to miss is the fact that _that _ghost is almost just as bad!" Danny pointed angrily at a Fenton Thermos that lied in a dark corner of the tower. "If they don't think that killing me isn't meddling with time, helping me sure isn't either!"

A shadow behind one of the large, slow-swinging pendulums fidgeted, but this went unnoticed by Danny and Clockwork.

Clockwork sighed, the window behind him fading to the image of a small girl ghost. She looked about five years old in this image and appeared to be quite similar to her current state, only miniature in comparison. Her red eyes however, instead of their sinister tone, were wide and lit with curiosity and innocence.

"I know what she was like... before, well... you know... I witnessed her through all these years, growing up. In fact, I still do, and I know what might have been, had things happened differently... Those eyes would still be bright, her head still full of dreams."

"Please, Clockwork! She's _unbeatable _right now! I need _help_!" Danny pled.

For a few moments there was silence in the tower, the only sounds were the ticking and turning of the cogs and wheels of the various clocks. Clockwork suddenly broke the stillness, turning away from the boy's distressed face.

"Danny, do you know much about Greek history?" Clockwork inquired lightly, brushing a thumb down the side of his staff as he turned from a child to his middle-aged form. He inspected the window that was tuned in on the chaos in Amity Park that had happened just a couple days previously, watching the tiny ant-like figures scrambling for cover as the thick green fog continued to blanket the town until only their vague shadows were discernible in the mist.

The young hybrid scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion, quite unsure where the spirit was going with this, "Eh... a little. Not much. What does that have to do with our 'problem'?"

Clockwork closed his eyes and spoke pleasantly, "Well, it is a very fascinating time period—or, I guess for you, it _was _a very fascinating time period. As you know, time has no effect on me; for me, it goes both backwards and forwards..." He gestured at the window to show his point as it faded to a scene from England during the Elizabethan Era to Columbus landing on the shore of America to present day New York City before landing on ancient Greece. "Well, you know the myth of Achilles, I trust?"

Danny nodded his head before Clockwork continued, "Yes, legend says he was dipped in the River Styx and made nearly invincible. _Nearly_, mind you. His one weak spot was his heel, which proved to be his downfall when he was attacked there. My point in bringing this up is that Miss Dark may appear unbeatable at the moment to you, but she has her flaws, just like Achilles. Granted, her flaws may not necessarily be physical as with Achilles, but she has them nonetheless. _Find_ that Achilles' heel, and you'll find that she is much easier to beat than you anticipated. That is all the help I am allowed to give."

Danny frowned at this small piece of advice and rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his gloved hand, "I think I've got it..." the boy looked up at Clockwork for signs of approval, but all the spirit gave him was a vague smile that hinted he was at least on the right track.

"Well, like I said—once you find that hole in her armor, you can do it," Clockwork said reassuringly, turning from middle-aged to ancient as the window swirled back to present-day Amity Park, zooming in on a laughing Melania, "Now, you may want to hurry back home; it looks like Amity Park needs all the help it can get!"

Plasmius, who was still hidden invisible behind the large slow-swinging pendulum in the dark, squinted and peered into the window in pleasant surprise as he saw the ghost properly for the first time. What was that on top of her head? _Could that possibly be...? _He covered his mouth hastily as a small gasp escaped from his throat, but it went unnoticed by both the spirit and the younger halfa. Apparently the ticking of the clocks drowned out the sound completely, thankfully for Vlad. A dark smirk tugged at his lips as he narrowed his eyes. Well, wasn't _this _a delightful turn of events? This was the golden opportunity to get two birds with one stone... working side by side with Daniel could be the chance of actually winning over the boy, and if not... well, that's when that little trinket that was on top of that ghost girl's head would come in... He turned his concentration back to his younger counterpart and the spirit.

Already the beginnings of a plan were forming inside Danny's head, "Thank you so much!"

"Go on, Danny!" Clockwork waved at him towards the exit of the tower. Danny stumbled over himself in his hurry to fly out of the tower, so excited was he at his new findings.

Plasmius shrank further out of sight as the boy rushed past his hiding place, even though he was sure that Danny wouldn't be able to sense him when he was invisible. A couple moments after the ghost boy had fled the premises, Vlad peeked around the edge of the pendulum at Clockwork, who had his back turned on him and was staring intently into the window.

"Yes, go on..." he urged thoughtfully, but seemingly more to himself than to Danny, since the boy had already left.

Convinced that the spirit was preoccupied enough, Plasmius started slipping quietly towards the door, still invisible. However, when he was around halfway to the door, Clockwork's voice loudly started speaking again.

"_Just _one minute, if you please, Vlad Plasmius..."

Vlad halted, biting his lip perhaps a little too hard in the process, accidentally drawing ectoplasm. He winced as he regained his visibility before slowly turning back towards Clockwork. Plasmius jumped as he heard a loud gong-like sound coming from one of the corners of the tower. He raised an eyebrow as he recognized a Fenton Thermos on one of the tables, which had evidently been the source of the noise. It made the sound again and wobbled slightly, a small dent forming in one of its sides. Vlad blinked pointedly at it and looked to Clockwork, silently asking for an explanation.

Clockwork smiled blandly, "I won't bother telling you what's in there—you wouldn't believe me even if I did."

On that mysterious note, Vlad boldly declared, "_Try _me."

Clockwork didn't answer, instead turning back toward the window.

Plasmius hesitantly turned his attentions away from the Thermos and stared sheepishly at Clockwork.

The Master of Time chuckled mildly, "I take it that Danny didn't know you were following."

"Er..." Plasmius searched for the words to say.

"It's alright; I know. I know what you are going to try to attain, but let me just ask... is it worth it?"

Vlad was getting flustered with himself—_him, Vlad Masters_, speechless with the hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar expression? Since when was _Vlad Masters _speechless?

"Yes, it most certainly _will _be worth it! And it _is! _Once I get that gem, I will finally have all I ever wanted..." _ There _it was... _there _was his usual manner!

Clockwork sighed, "Yes, of course, of course. You'd better leave—or else Danny will be suspicious."

Vlad didn't know how to interpret this; the way the spirit _said _that... did this mean yet another plan was going to go down the drain? After all, he was the Master of Time—he knew everything that was going to happen. Well, that didn't mean anything. After all, perhaps the spirit knew that he would succeed if he tried to carry this out and was trying to _make _him give up so it wouldn't happen? He would never know unless he tried. So, with that in mind, the halfa smirked and disappeared in a swirl of pink to get to the entrance to the portal before young Daniel. He would never know!

Clockwork clasped his hands behind his back; _when _would that man _ever _learn? He certainly didn't give up easily, did he? He would have to learn the hard way, sooner or later. And Clockwork knew exactly when that moment would come. As the window faded to a scene from the future, of the dark depths of space, a ghost sat on a small chunk of an asteroid, broken and alone. As a colossal asteroid hurtled and crashed into him, the faint yelling of snack names could be heard.

Clockwork turned away, candidly thinking his philosophy, _Yes, everything is as it should be..._

* * *

><p><strong>(1)Now, for starters, I'm not sure what would actually happen if a half-ghost would overshadow a full ghost. I sure know what would happen if a full ghost overshadowed a full ghost (see TUE...)! Not pretty! But, anyway, for the sake of this story, let's assume nothing like that will happen when a half-ghost overpowers a full ghost. Methinks it has something to do with the human half still intact... Anyways...<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed! It took me forever and a day to write it (since I'm a fairly slow writer), so I'm looking forward to the reviews! Hope y'all have a great day!**


	19. Chapter 19

Muses: *whispers* Okay, one, two, three! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOOOOOOU...

***jumps a mile into the sky* AAAAAAAAH! You guys gave me a heart attack! For the fifth time this week, for Pete's sake!**

Castor: Come on, Gem, you know you love us...

**Of course I do. Come on, guys! Gimme a hug! **

Muses: ***group hug* **Happy early birthday!

**Yeah, it's less than a week away... **

**Meep! I'm back! ^^ **

**Sorry for the wait, lots of awesome stuff has been happening this month for me and this _chapter_... well, it's definitely the longest chapter I've ever written. After what seemed like forever of adding final touches and fine tuning to the chapter, it's done!**

**I had a little debate on whether I should split this up into the several phases, but decided against it. You know, I wondered since I thought it would take really long, but some of you guys have expressed how you've liked the longer length of last chapter, so I'll keep it up. Still, sorry for the wait!**

**This is it, guys! The end is nigh! **

Fred and George: *sets off fireworks*

Super Danny: Yes! Justice time!

**Now, I'm sure you're all wondering what's about to happen, so I won't keep you much longer. You can expect one more chapter after this one, which'll be the ending though, so yeah. And yes, I know that would mean that this story will be EXACTLY twenty chapters and you may be wondering—_did _I plan this? Strangely enough, no. But you've gotta admit that's kinda cool... **

**Me and da muses have worked our tails off for the past couple weeks writing and editing to perfection, so we hope you like this— *starts giggling madly* —It's long. Once again. In fact, it kinda leaves last one in the dust lengthwise. I'm liking this. 8D**

Fun Danny: Okay dudes, just sit back, relax, and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: Me no owns Danny Phantom.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Vlad paced by the door to the portal, not really caring at the moment if Danny found him like this on the other side. He ran a hand through his silvery hair, thinking. After all, how could he go back to sleep with the cogs in his mind turning so fast?

Daniel knew the Master of Time. How? Something really major must have happened in order for that particular spirit to become involved in his life! Vlad wondered what that something could have been, because he had never even known Clockwork personally, much less seen him. That was the first time he had ever laid eyes on him.

A muffled snore interrupted his thoughts. He glanced sharply over by the closet at the other side of the room, which seemed to be the source of the noise. Well, it seemed that he now knew the hiding place of Daniel's little friends. He guessed that those children weren't supposed to be there; he made a mental note to reveal them to Maddie in the morning. Vlad moved into a dark corner by the portal so when Danny came back he wouldn't notice him right away.

_Now, where was I? _Vlad thought, returning to his previous train of thought. He supposed that Daniel was currently coming up with a mediocre scheme for defeating Melania. That much was certain by the boy's determined facial expression as he left Clockwork's Tower. He wondered how well that would work for him.

This wasn't some average run-of-the-mill ghost that he was going to simply shove in that ridiculous thermos of his! This was the blasted offspring of Pariah Dark! Surely she must have had a trick or two of her father's up her sleeve.

She also had heavy artillery at that. When he started digging into Daniel's past encounters with his enemies, his interest had been aroused by the crystal ball of a certain circus ringleader. The thought of a ghost-controlling crystal ball was quite thrilling to him, naturally! But he was disappointed at discovering the fact that the artifact was no longer in existence; trust Daniel to destroy such a fascinating object! That aside, he dug back even further, knowing the fact that Freakshow was only one out of a long line of humans that used the crystal ball. It had made him wonder how these mere humans could get their hands on such an object. What a delight it had been to find out that the crystal ball was only a copy, a clone of the _real _thing: the Gale Gem, which was owned by Pariah Dark at the time. In fact, it was even better than the crystal ball because of the fact that it could not only control ghosts, but humans as well. It was like losing one dollar only to find a hundred, so to speak….

The reason for this was apparently because one of Freakshow's ancestors, who was an alchemist from the Dark Ages, had miraculously been able to get their hands on the Gem and studied some of its properties before the Ghost King realized it was missing and took it back, unleashing his wrath upon the foolish man. That said, almost a month later said ancestor died from a plague that was at the time sweeping across the nation. But, before he died, he passed on the secrets of the Gem to his son, who fashioned the crystal ball based on the loose description of its mind-controlling properties. And, it was known what happened after that—the crystal ball was used on ghosts by Freakshow's ancestors for entertainment down the line to this point. It didn't have all of the powers the Gale Gem possessed because the alchemist hadn't been able to discover all of its powers before he was struck with the plague. However, it was still quite the object.

It was a shame that such an artifact ended up in the hands of that idiotic ringleader...

_Oh well, _mused Vlad.

However, finding the Gem had proved more difficult than anticipated. For one thing it was much smaller and therefore much easier to conceal. Vlad had been close when he thought that it was hidden in Pariah's Castle, and he had searched it several times (avoiding Pariah's sarcophagus like the plague itself) but came up empty-handed every time. He had no idea that all this time it was in the prison with Pariah's own _daughter._ In _Walker's _prison; he probably either didn't know exactly what it was, or was too in love with the rules to use it!

Well, one thing was clear: if he wanted Melania to be beaten, he needed to let Daniel know of the Gale Gem and its properties, however much it pained him to do so. Otherwise that mediocre scheme of the boy's would face an unplanned challenge and fail. Heavens, it would be over before it even began! Daniel wouldn't last one second should the ghost choose to exercise the object's power on the young hybrid. Then, as soon as he let the boy know, he would need to play out his own little plan really carefully—since, of course Danny would be suspicious. So, he could probably come up with a distraction for the boy so he could get to the ghost girl and steal the Gem before he even noticed! He chuckled as he tapped one of his feet on the floor.

There was an awkward silence as he came out of his thoughts. He stared around for a few seconds as he noticed that the snoring from the closet had abruptly stopped due to a loud thud. Now that his wild thoughts had wound down slightly, he thought that perhaps he should go upstairs so it wouldn't appear obvious that he had followed Daniel to the lab. Vlad walked light-footed up the staircase to wait in the kitchen instead.

The closet door opened and Sam burst out wielding a mop while a disgruntled Tucker crawled out behind her. "_Ow! _What was that for Sam? You nearly gave me a concussion!" the boy groaned, rubbing a lump on his head.

"Hmm, I swore I heard someone in here..." the Goth hummed pensively. Sam then angrily tossed the mop aside and growled quietly, "Don't be a wimp, Tucker; I didn't hit you _that _hard. You snore loud. It was annoying me—hey, do you know why the portal's open? Again?"

Tucker stood up, "How should I know?" He frowned suddenly, "You don't think that Melania snuck past us, do you?"

"No... no, there's no way she could get past the Ghost Shield, much less the genetic lock, Tucker."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe it's just Danny; we'd better watch it just in case, though."

Sam nodded in agreement.

Yet another awkward silence came across the room as they stared at the swirling green in the entrance to the Fenton Portal. Several minutes later Tucker gave a loud yawn, "_Man, _I'm tired..."

"Do you think that this ghost will be anything like Pariah?" Sam asked, hardly allowing one beat between Tucker's statement and hers, ignoring what he had said.

Tucker shrugged, "Could be... but if so, Danny doesn't have an Ecto-suit to beat her with this time. That's not good."

"I agree with you on that one. Maybe we should check on Danny's room to see if he's still there."

"No need to!" Danny suddenly said as he came through the entrance and landed on the floor. He immediately morphed back to his human form and marched swiftly towards them. "I'm here. We need to talk. Now." Danny grabbed both of his friends' arms and pulled them back into the closet, shutting the door.

Tucker blinked languidly, "What is it?"

"First thing's first, you need to give me the details on what's been going on here while I was away."

"Well," Sam began, "A little bit after you and Vlad disappeared, she broke through the doors to the Fenton Portal. At first she seemed harmless, but then she switched on a dime and attacked your parents and then us. She left because she didn't think that we were worth her time, but before she could get out of the city, I told Jazz to put up the Ghost Shield. We didn't think it would take that long to capture her, you see, so we decided to lock her in until we could. Otherwise she would've gotten away."

"Ooh, I bet you sure won her friendship with _that _one!" Danny laughed.

Sam rolled her eyes, "Yeah. But, she's gotten away every time we tried to catch her. And that _last _time was... weird."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked.

"The last time Jazz, Tucker, and I tried to stop her, we fit in a couple of hits and she got really flustered. She seemed a bit shocked that a bunch of humans were able to hit her... Then I was looking at her and... she looked back at me, and... I don't... really know how to describe it. Everything went fuzzy and I suddenly felt like not going after her; the next thing I knew, she was gone."

"Yeah, it was weird. She was like in some kind of trance!" Tucker said.

"Hmm, that is..." Danny mumbled, puzzled. Somehow, this scenario seemed oddly familiar, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

Sam continued, "Well, she started attacking the city once she realized she was trapped and then suddenly stopped a day or two ago. I think she's trying to force her way through the Ghost Shield or something. I've seen lightning striking at the shield, so I bet that's what she's trying to do. The Guys in White also showed up to investigate, but she's going undetected on their radar. Anyway, that's when the evacuations started. Well, she hasn't been seen since, but she certainly did a number on Amity... And now you and Vlad have returned, but I guess it's a good thing that she doesn't know it yet. You can take her by surprise."

"Mm-hmm," Danny hummed, "And that'll be a key factor in our plan... she won't be expecting me."

"Wait. You have a plan?"

"Sort of..." Danny mumbled, blushing a little. "The basics are worked out, but I need you guys to help make it fit together.

"I was just barely at Clockwork's for help. He told me to look for her weaknesses. It wasn't really much of a help since he didn't tell me _what _that weakness is. He's always cryptic. But, I guess it was more help than I thought, because now that I know a little more about her, I know her weakness." Danny paused before thoughtfully going on, "_You_ said that Melania was really surprised that a bunch of humans fit in a couple hits. Well, I think that her weakness is pride. It's a common weakness if you think about it, 'cause when her ego is bruised, she..."

Sam felt a lightbulb go off in her head, "Gets sloppy!"

"And dangerous." Tucker added.

"Yeah, but that's beside the point!" Danny brushed aside Tucker's comment, continuing on lightly. "When you last hurt her pride, you only got a glimpse at the beginning of her... ahem, deterioration. She may be hot-headed, but I bet that the more her pride is hurt, she gets more and more flustered until she can't even function anymore. We've gotta push her to the edge... but _how_ is the question?" Danny arched an eyebrow mischievously.

Tucker suggested, "For starters, we need to get her attention off of cracking the Shield long enough to put the rest of the plan into action."

"Exactly," Danny said. "For phase one, we need to set up a diversion while the others set up the actual trap."

"Yeah. How are we going to do that?" Sam asked.

"Well, we all know that there's a genetic lock on both the Ghost Shield and Ghost Portal, so Melania can't get out of Amity Park on her own. She'll need Fenton DNA. I don't think she knows that yet, but once she does, she'll be targeting any member of the Fenton family. So, if the rest of the family is out of her reach except me... she'll be desperate enough to realize that she has no choice but to go after _me._" Danny hesitantly said, but he started to smile as he came to this conclusion.

"And the Fenton family is out of reach, so that's good!" Tucker said.

"Eeeeh... I wouldn't be too sure about that. Jazz would probably be good about staying inside, but if Mr. and Mrs. Fenton saw Melania again, they would probably try fighting her again and that would give her a chance at lowering the Shield." Sam pointed out.

"You've got a point. And they probably aren't in the right mood to listen to anyone else about staying on the sidelines." Danny sighed heavily, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I probably _need _Vlad's help on this one. My parents would listen to an order the _mayor _gave them... ironically.

"Then, with me as the only Fenton in her reach, she'll come after me. Then it'll be easy to make her walk right into the trap that we're going to set up. I want there to be absolutely _no _loopholes she can snag to get someone to open either the portal _or_ shield... Barring me, but you know—I'm _definitely _not going to do what she says.

"Except that'll make it harder for the actual trap to be set up without her knowing... You see, I only want her to come after me once it's set up since it would be too risky if she caught me before it was ready..."

Tucker raised up a hand vaguely, "Maybe either Sam or I could keep her busy. Then you could in the meantime set it up."

"Yes, and maybe just so you aren't dealing with her at full strength, you should find a way to weaken her somehow? When you're distracting her, come up with something. Anything; I'll leave that to your creativity!"

"Hehe, I have a pretty good idea... she won't know what hit her..." Sam grinned devilishly.

"And maybe one of you should keep out of sight and keep an eye on the other. Then in case something bad happens you can let me know."

"I call distracter duty!" Sam replied automatically.

"Well, from what you've told me, I'll guess that she doesn't like you guys too much... she might be quite _mad _that you're bugging her again_..._. Are you up for the risk, guys?" Danny questioned, shifting his position slightly on the floor of the closet.

Sam lightly replied, "We _always _take risks, Danny! What makes this different from all those other times?" Danny didn't respond. "Well, promise me that this plan'll work and we'll see."

Danny grinned cockily at this, "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

As Sam boldly opened her mouth to reply with several situations in mind, Danny waved her off listlessly and mumbled irritably through clenched teeth, "...Don't answer that..."

"Well, phase two comes after we've set up the trap. We'll _draw _her to the booby-trapped location. It needs to be in some place that's wide and open."

"Why someplace wide and open?" Sam questioned.

"Because," Danny began, chuckling modestly, "The trap I have in mind is going to end up pretty messy..." When the two saw that he wasn't going to explain, Tucker spoke up.

"The ball park?"

"Yeah, that's perfect! Now, once the trap is set there, I'll reveal myself before she hurts Sam and she'll come after me. I'll then lead her to the ball park," Danny lowered his voice and said seriously, "And once I do so, I want you two to get out of here. Get to the other side of the Shield and wait for me."

Sam and Tucker frowned, "...Why?"

Danny bit his lip, "I just... don't want you guys to get hurt. I don't see why you two should be endangered more than necessary."

"...Fine." Sam said reluctantly.

"Okay, so then what I'll do then is begin the assault... I'll distract her with her flaws and begin tearing down her pride. Then, when she's as sloppy as can get, _bang. _I'll trigger the last phase, the trap!"

Tucker laughed, but then raised his eyebrows puzzled, "What exactly _is _the trap again?"

Danny smirked suddenly as he gestured for them to come in closer. The other two did so and leaned forward to hear his whispered plan.

Sam and Tucker leaned back slowly, two different looks on their faces. Tucker was grinning while Sam looked really baffled.

"Really? That's it?" Sam asked.

"What do you think?" Danny asked, nodding.

"It's really simple, Danny; I'll give you that." Sam said dryly.

Tucker burst out in a fit of laughter, "It's simple, but _I _think it's _gold! Pure _gold, in fact! Aw, are you _sure _you want us to leave before that? I wanna see the look on her face at being defeated by _that_!"

"Yes. I'm sorry, but I stand by my decision." Danny said resolutely, earning a moan of disappointment from Tucker. "But, there are your four phases: divert, draw, distract, and detonate."

"Quite literally with the last one!" Tucker sniggered.

"Why did you whisper, anyway?" Sam asked. "Not that I blame you, it _is _kind of simpler than I thought it would be, but... we're the only ones in here."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I just have a _really _good feeling that we're being spied on." Danny nodded frankly.

"What do you...?" both Sam and Tucker asked.

They were answered by the opening of the closet door. Vlad Masters was standing in the doorway.

"_My... _putting things quite bluntly, aren't we, Daniel?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe casually.

"Sure, Plasmius. What are you still doing up?" Danny asked, irritated.

"Back to your old ways, I see. And after all the good times we've had in the past couple weeks, too! And I only wanted to bring to light a factor you seem to be forgetting: the Guys in White?"

Danny, Sam, and Tucker groaned. "Uuugh! Are you kidding me? Vlad, can't you just make them leave while we do this? They'll just get in the waaaaaay!" Danny whined.

"I'm afraid not, Little Badger. It's something you'll have to deal with on your own..."

"We _could _just... let _Melania _take care of them for us... because they're probably just as much of a problem to her as they are to us, you know?" Tucker meekly suggested.

Vlad peered down at them, "But, I'm also afraid that I have another warning. This ghost, Melania, isn't the same. I trust you know that!"

"Yeah, fruit loop. We've already established that she's Pariah's daughter. Your point in bringing this up?"

Vlad snapped, "_Okay_, you little rat; quit it with your hostility long enough to hear what I have to say if you know what's good for you! After all, this is _really_ important; I'd hate to have you miss it and suffer the consequences!"

The younger hybrid folded his arms in begrudged consent as he stared expectantly at the billionaire.

"Now, as I was saying," Vlad sniffed before continuing in an airy tone, "It's obvious that you three are cooking up a scheme, but I think that it would be best if I let you know just what arsenal this girl has up her sleeve so you know what's in store for you. Daniel, you remember how Walker said that she stole a really powerful artifact from his possession, yes?"

"Yeah?" he asked, nonplussed.

"I just so happen to know what it is." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"And what's that?" Danny asked with an edge of impatience creeping into his tone.

"The Gale Gem... It's a powerful crystal with the ability to—"

"Control people's minds!" Sam finished, connecting one dot to the other.

Vlad looked at her strangely, "How do _you _know?"

"We saw your notes on—" Tucker blurted, but gave a sharp intake of breath as Sam stomped heavily on his foot with her heavy boot.

The billionaire narrowed his eyes, "My _notes? _Those are in my _private study _in my _house! _What were you doing inside _my _house, may I ask?"

"Come on, Mr. Masters. The circumstances were suspicious and we decided to investigate!" Sam explained.

"Are you trying to tell me that you _broke into _my house?" Vlad's eyes flashed red for a fraction of second before Danny intervened.

"We can sort this all out later! We don't have all the time in the world here!"

Vlad's eyes returned to their normal blue as he pulled back his shoulders, sighing forcefully, "Yes, where was I?"

"Crystal, mind-controlling properties?" Danny prompted.

"Oh, yes. It's a crystal that can control both humans and ghosts. It could very well be a negative factor in any plan _you _could concoct."

"So it can control... ghosts? So, sort of like Freakshow's crystal ball, then, right?" Danny asked.

"Exactly like it. Other than the fact that it can also control humans."

Sam spoke again in understanding, "Okay, now that one time makes sense. I must've looked at it and she used that as an opportunity to escape. Don't tell me... it's that thing on her head, isn't it?" She groaned, dragging a hand down her face. Vlad nodded.

Danny bit a lip anxiously, "Well, that's going to complicate things a bit... Especially if we can't look at her without losing control of what we're doing..."

"Just don't make eye contact... don't make eye contact until we can get that Gem away from her." Tucker said uncertainly.

"Yes, I'm afraid it'll have to be that way," Vlad said.

Danny suddenly began to stare narrowly at Vlad. "Why would you tell me this?" he asked suspiciously.

Vlad looked hurt, "I just want to help! Why are you _always _so suspicious?"

_Oh, I don't know... maybe just the fact that you just told me about some freaky __**crystal thing**__ that you could take over the world with and that is probably the only reason you're trying to help 'cause you want to steal it from Melania..._ Danny dryly thought, but figured he probably shouldn't say so out loud. However, the man was that predictable in the evil arena. Yup, Danny could read his mind like a book. However, the how's were a little fuzzy. If Danny was breathing down the elder hybrid's neck during the whole battle, he wouldn't be able to get it! _There_ we go...

Danny instead asked simply, "Why on Earth would you want to help _me?_ Of all people?_"_

"Well," the billionaire paused for a millisecond before resuming, "Only because of my desire for vengeance, Daniel. This ghost has wronged me, so I am going to get even with her... and you know how I'm not easily forgiving..." Danny snorted. "And like it or not, I'm _going _to help you. Now will you tell me this little plan from the beginning? Then I can make any adjustments as I see fit..."

Danny smiled inwardly in spite of the 'confidence-bolstering' statement the man gave. However much he hated to admit it, this was about to get a heck of a lot easier...

* * *

><p><strong>~One Hour Later~<strong>

Melania kicked at the stubborn translucent green shield in front of her, letting out a frustrated sigh. She was frankly at a loss for words. For the time being she had relented on terrorizing Amity Park to focus on trying to break through the ghost shield. The ghost realized she was most likely wasting time on this hard-headed population when she needed every spare second she could. After all, she was getting a bad feeling that Danny Phantom might return before she could get a firm grip on this realm. Now, she needed to get out of the city before the boy could return.

The ghost girl hadn't noticed it until now that there was practically no one left in the city. While she had been determined on trying to hammer her way out of the city through the southern side of town, they had snuck out the northern side. It was a humiliating thought, being outsmarted by a bunch of mere mortals. _Idiot! _she scolded herself.

She lowered herself to the grass beneath her and lied down, staring up into the night sky angrily. Scowling up at the stars, she bitterly realized that she had practically lost. Well, she had come to the conclusion that she couldn't break through the dome. She had underestimated the human race a great deal, apparently. Melania got up again and floated back and forth in front of the Shield.

The thought made her angry... even though she hadn't seen him in a thousand years, she could almost see her father's sneering face. She never _did _meet her father's expectations.

"I said that I would show you... and I always follow through with my promises," the ghost girl growled, allowing a dark purple energy to flow all the way from her palms until they engulfed her arms up to the elbows. She floated high up off of the ground and gave the Ghost Shield a well-aimed punch, the friction between her fist and the shield so great that a volt of static electricity resulted. It quickly traveled up her hand and zapped a thin metal cuff around her wrist.

Melania yelped, rubbing her wrist gingerly. She'd almost forgotten that her old handcuffs from Walker's prison were excellent conductors. How annoying! In fact, when she was still a prisoner and the cuffs were still functioning fully, she'd found that they were more of a torture device than one of restraint. Whenever she said something cheeky to the guards, they prodded the handcuffs with a taser, causing her immense pain.

But, fortunately the restraining powers of the cuffs were broken when she'd hit them hard enough on the walls of the cell. So, the guards couldn't shock her when she used her powers for the first time in years to escape the prison. However, she couldn't very well leave without the necessary swing by the warden's office to pick up her inheritance!

She smiled fondly, raising up a finger to slightly caress the oval-shaped red jewel on her circlet. Not only did it give her the power of control, but it also augmented her strength as well. Slightly, but every bit counts, wouldn't you agree? You see, the energy within the artifact was so great that some of it sometimes radiated off of the object and gave stamina to the wearer. Such a handy thing, too... Even though one could use this property only so many times before the Gale Gem ran out of energy and needed to recharge itself again. And then, when it needed to recharge that sometimes robbed it of all its power—so it would be virtually worthless until it was fully charged again. That was practically the one con that the object had that that... worthless mortal-made copy _didn't!_

However, she needed to get someone's attention. Then that someone could get past the Ghost Shield and lower it from the inside. And she needed to get that someone's attention before a certain halfa returned...

_Relax... _she told herself forcefully. _You dropped him off in the middle-of-nowhere with _no _powers... with his _archenemy, _no less... He's more likely dead than on his way back anyway... _And if need be, she could always just use the Gem on Phantom should he return before she got out of the city. Then he _wouldn't _be the one opposing her.

One of her ears perked up as her keen hearing suddenly picked up a small voice from below her that caught her attention. _That's odd... _ She wasn't aware that there were still inhabitants left in Amity Park—well, anyone outside of the Fenton family. She stared wide-eyed and puzzled for a moment at the Shield in front of her as she listened, without turning towards the sound.

"Code gray, code gray—requesting reinforcements... Approach target with caution, but hold fire until ordered!"

Melania sighed heavily and then narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she shiftily glanced downwards at the ground, where several men wearing white suits were crouched in the grass. "Oh, it's the _welcoming party,_" she whispered, smiling at this new opportunity, "Hmm. Finally... A little delayed, but I guess that late is better than never..."

She teleported from her spot, leaving the humans down below her confused. She reappeared behind them, so she stood—um, floated—between them and the city.

"I only need _one_ and I have a pretty good idea where to put the rest..." she murmured to herself.

The Guys in White finally caught on that the ghost was now behind them, and one of them boldly yelled to his comrades, "Get her!"

The ghost girl's red eyes brightly widened in amusement as she giggled childishly, "Getting right down to it, huh? Only if you can catch me, boys!" She laughed before bolting towards the city, leading them onwards. The humans, who foolishly took her silly behavior as a sign that she was weak, followed predictably.

She went slowly enough for the humans to keep up, but in truth she couldn't really go that much faster. She didn't like to think of the fact that she wasn't very agile since her stubborn pride didn't like to dwell on such things, but her teleportation skills made up for it well. So, she flew onwards, pausing every now and then to turn back and shoot a light lilac blast of energy at their feet to tease her pursuers. It went on like this for a while until they got back to town and Melania had led them to Casper High.

The ghost girl phased through the door with ease, making the men manually charge through the battered doors of the High School. The lights were still on, surprisingly enough. She was waiting for them on the other side, although, floating a little ways down the hall. Several took this chance to shoot at her, but she disappeared once again and reappeared even further down the hall, while the blasts shattered a couple windows and dented a couple lockers in the process. The Guys in White charged after her with a gun-hoe attitude, oblivious to the fact that she obviously _wanted _them to follow her.

She allowed the ghost-hunters to catch up a little more as she sharply turned left around the corner into another hall full of lockers and banners for the once upcoming football game, proclaiming in bold capital letters things like: 'GO RAVENS!'

Another one of the government employees shot at the specter as they continued to gain on her, but she momentarily turned invisible and the blast left a hole in the ceiling. Melania began to show signs of weariness.

"Give up, ghost! You're outnumbered!"

But, Melania smiled silently as she quickly turned right and darted through the entrance to the school's gymnasium.

"Hold it right there!" one of the men called.

She turned around and floated in the center of the gym, hands behind her back with a tranquil smile pasted on her lips with closed eyes as the rest of the Guys in White flooded into the large room. Some were hurrying so fast that their shoes squealed as they skidded against the polished floor. They immediately took aim to shoot at her.

However, once all of them were within the school gymnasium, she pointed a finger behind her back up at the light fixture and shot a quick ectoblast that shattered the bulbs and left the room in total darkness. Being able to see in the dark, Melania shot quick beams at each of the guns that the men carried into disrepair. Several yelled indignantly as each of the blasts hit their weapons and were now flooding towards the door in a frenzied attempt to flee the pitch-black room. _They _sure didn't want to be stuck in a dark room with an angered ghost with no working weapons! She teleported just outside the gym and slammed the doors shut on them, using energy to melt the keyhole and bend the metal doorhandles so they blocked the exit.

Suddenly a fierce pounding shook the doors as muffled voices screamed different things from the other side, but the general idea, of course, was, "_Let us out!" _

"Well, that takes care of that..." Melania said in a satisfied tone, clapping her hands together and getting ready to phase through the ceiling. She paused just before she did so, "Oh, I almost forgot!"

She phased through the door into the gym once again and picked up the nearest person and both phased and shoved him at the same time through the door, leaving him sprawled on the floor a couple yards away from the doorway. The man immediately stood up in a defensive stance, although it was quite pointless because he wasn't armed.

"You fellows aren't that good at tag, _are _you?" she asked flatly. She turned invisible and floated up behind the man.

He looked in all aspects just like any other Guy in White: white suit, black tie, dark sunglasses, etc.—basically the whole getup.

He pointedly stared around him at the ghost girl's disappearance. "Well, you can hardly call it _tag, _ghost! We've never been that fond of hide and seek!" he spat.

Melania pinned him to the wall in one fluid movement. He stared at the empty space in front of him, at first surprised at the mysterious force that had now lifted him off the ground by his suit jacket

She reappeared suddenly, still wearing her trademarked complacent smile. "Oh, contraire... it _is _tag..." she nodded and arched an eyebrow before sighing, "And _you, _my friend... are now _it_."

Behind the man's black shades, his eyes flooded with the color red slowly and his muscles relaxed as he stared blankly at the red crystal on the ghost girl's head.

"Now..." she sniffed airily, "You're going to do _exactly _as I say..."

"I will do exactly as you say..." the man stupidly replied.

Melania pressed a hand against her face and shook her head in exasperation, rolling her eyes, "Ah well, at least I know it workssssss-ARGHHHHH!" she heard a click from behind her and the last word trailed into a high-pitched shriek of pain as she felt some kind of electricity immediately begin to course through her, seemingly coming from the something that was now clicked around her waist. The ghost squeezed her eyes shut in agony and instinctively let go of the oblivious man (who slid down to the floor in a nearly comatose state), and her hands flew down to the metallic belt attached to her waist. She almost wished she hadn't, since the electricity then began to flow directly to her handcuffs.

"Did you _miss _me?" a girl's voice mockingly asked.

Melania forced her eyes open at the sound of the teenage girl's question, teeth gritted as her eyes flashed a brilliant shade of red. She waited until the pain subsided slightly, even though the shocks were still pulsating throughout her body. She lowered herself to the floor and leaned against the wall next to the feebly stirring man, panting heavily.

"You're very brave to not evacuate like a good little girl... or very foolish!" the ghost forced on a cocky grin as she tried to catch the girl's eye.

However, Sam would have none of that; she was dead-set on staring at anywhere but Melania's face. Her eye's roved down to the Guy in White that was now coming out of his stupor. "I'll take that as a compliment. You know, taking control of that guy won't get you outta here! _He _won't be able to lower the Shield _or _open the Portal."

The ghost's eyes snapped wide open. "What do you mean?" she snapped.

"Oh, surely you know that only the _Fentons _can do either of those things?" Sam asked mock-sincerely though in quite a convincing manner.

"**What are you going on about, girl?**" the ghost asked irritatedly.

"There's a genetic lock on both of them, so it only answers to them. And, unfortunately for you, none of the Fentons are in the city anymore, so you're trapped. Granted, it was really hard to get _them _to evacuate—like pulling teeth! But, in the end they agreed."

Melania's jaw dropped in complete and total devastation at this news, not even wondering why in the world the teen would be telling her this. "You... you're lying! There can't be a lock, it's..."

"Oh, by all means, go and try it out for yourself if you don't believe me! Go! Control that guy and have him try to lower the Shield for you; see what happens." Sam waved her off.

But, it seemed that the ghost was convinced. "In that case, I'll need to get..." she murmured.

"And _Danny's _not here either, so you can't turn to _him_! Yes, I know that you're the one who got rid of him; I pieced it together and I bet you want him back now!" Sam yelled.

Melania didn't reply to this at first and was starting to feel a little nervous. Maybe it was best if the hybrid got back... She could always hold onto this girl and use her as leverage to get Phantom to negotiate with her, but... she wasn't even sure if the boy was still alive or not. And she wasn't in a position to get to Phantom's family either... She'd just have to wait and hope for the best.

"Yes... that's what I'll do," she murmured to herself, wincing as her attention went back suddenly to the belt around her waist. She glared down at the device.

"What _is _this thing?" she scowled.

Sam smirked suddenly, "It's called the _Specter Deflector..._ do you like it?" she inquired with a chuckle.

The ghost growled and yanked at it again, yelping as her handcuffs conducted the electricity once again. Sam noticed this and made a mental note that this ghost was sensitive to electricity... and this could come in handy later on...

Melania stopped in her struggles at that precise moment as she noticed something about the belt. "There's a keyhole..." she whispered before her head suddenly snapped up to look at Sam in understanding: this pain-causing device was locked around her waist. There was a key to this lock. The human had the key... a one plus one equals two moment... She had a dark expression on her face. Sam didn't like that.

"Oh..." Sam whistled. "This is probably the part where I start running, right?" she asked flatly. Melania smiled darkly in response, pushing herself off of the wall and starting to approach Sam.

Sam bolted in the opposite direction, not even checking to see if the ghost was following, "Danny, I sure hope you can set up that trap fast enough..." she whispered. She ran all the way past the cafeteria, up a flight of stairs, ran nearly to the opposite end of the school and downstairs again before turning sharply left down the science hall just to throw off the ghost. The Goth listened for any signs of being pursued, but the only sounds she could hear were the dull thuds of her boots against the floor and the pounding in her ears; she guessed it was safe enough for that moment.

She paused and leaned her back against the door to a biology classroom and wearily lifted her left boot off of the floor, slipping her hand down the inside of the boot until her hand clamped onto the cool metal surface of the key to the Specter Deflector. Sam withdrew it from her boot and held it up by her face, nodding to herself before lowering it down to her side along with her arm.

The Goth laboriously inhaled and then exhaled, peering down both ways of the hall before sighing in slight relief. She figured that it wouldn't be wise to stay in one place for too long, but she needed a rest. Her breathing calmed down and she leaned her head back against the door as well. The lights went out suddenly; Sam tensed up, getting ready to run again should it become necessary, but nothing happened. However, it wasn't a good omen. She sighed again.

She was about to get up again to start off again down the hall, but suddenly the door behind her opened and she tumbled backwards into the classroom. The door slammed shut after her as she yelled out in surprise.

"Sam, relax! It's me!" Sam stood up slowly as soon as she realized that it was only Tucker.

"Okay... at first I thought you were..."

"Yeah, I know." Tucker nodded.

"How'd you get in here anyway?" Sam inquired.

"Climbed in through the classroom window; I saw you coming down the hall."

"Alright. Heard anything from...?" Sam nodded knowingly at the techno geek, not wanting to mention Danny's name out loud just yet. They never knew just who could be listening. Her hand wandered up to the pair of Fenton Phones on her ears as Tucker shook his head.

"Not yet. I think that he's still arguing with Vlad on what goes where over there..." Tucker whispered dryly as he leaned in closer for Sam to hear.

Sam nodded and glanced at the door before sitting down behind one of the lab tables. Tucker did the same as Sam pressed the talk button and whispered into it.

"Danny? You there?"

Danny, who was on the other side, replied, "_Yeah, Sam? Plasmius and I are... I don't know, um... How far do you say we are, Vlad?"_ Vlad said something that Sam didn't quite catch and Danny said, "_Okay, we're about done setting up the __**first **__of the weapons."_

Sam frowned and gritted her teeth, "Well, can you hurry it up a bit? I don't know how much longer I can hold off this lunatic!"

"_What? You've run out of ideas already_?" Danny asked challengingly. Sam could almost see his mischievous grin from the other side; she growled and closed her eyes.

"Oh, don't you worry, Danny. I'm sure I'll think of something."

"_Alright, then. I guess I'll contact you once fruit loop and I are done." _Danny's end went silent and Sam lowered her arm.

She stood up slightly and peeked over the edge of the table at the door. Okay, no sign of her.

"Okay, Tucker. She might get here any time, so what should we do?" Sam asked quietly, eyes glued to the shut door.

"...Run around the city and avoid the ball park?" Tucker meekly shrugged.

Sam leaned her forehead against the lab table, "I guess that's the only thing we can do until Danny takes over from us, huh? Well, if all else fails, we could always go to Fenton Works and taunt her from inside the Shield, right?"

Tucker laughed.

Sam looked back at Tucker and nodded before standing all the way up and walking slowly towards the window at the other side of the room. She opened the window before leaning her head out and gazing down at the ground below her. At the bottom lay a hedgerow. Well, it probably wasn't smart to do this, but... She extended her arm and dropped the small key to the Specter Deflector down into the bush, where it caught on and cracked a couple twigs before disappearing. Maybe not the best hiding place in the world being so close in proximity to the school building, but probably not easily guessed.

She looked around outside in the dark and after she concluded that nobody had seen this act, pulled her head back inside. The Goth didn't think that Melania was outside the building just yet. She was most likely still searching the school's hallways for her, but she didn't want to take any chances. Tucker was already standing by the door waiting for her.

"Ready?" Sam asked.

Tucker answered by anxiously turning the doorknob and poking his head out into the hallway cautiously. He peered down both directions, but when he looked down towards the left (which was the direction Sam had come from), his face turned several shades whiter. Sam didn't see this since the door was opened just barely enough to squeeze his beret-clad head through the opening.

The ghost girl had come running past the corner, but halted in her tracks as she peered down the science hall and noticed the head sticking out of the biology classroom. Wait... running? Not flying? The Specter Deflector was obviously sapping her powers. Even her ghostly glow was slightly dimmed.

Melania growled and charged down the hall towards Tucker.

The teen pulled his head back in and slammed the door and locked it shut. "Hide!" he hissed, terrified as he bolted towards the lab table and dove behind it.

Sam's eyebrows arched in confusion. Obviously Melania was right outside and about to attack them. How would locking the door prevent her from coming in? She was a _ghost, _for crying out loud! But, as their pursuer began to pound on the door, understanding dawned on her. Well, good thing that the belt drained her powers!

Sam turned her attention to Tucker, who was lying flat on the floor quivering with his hands covering his head. She sighed, "Come on, Tucker. It's show time!"

She grabbed him by the front of his yellow shirt and hauled him over to the window, shoving him through headfirst. Tucker gave a cry of surprise as he tumbled through the window and landed on top of the hedge below. Sam clambered outside after she made sure that Tucker had toppled off of the hedge and onto the ground, landing slightly more gracefully than her techno geek friend onto the bush.

They both stood up and recomposed themselves before backing up to the window beside the one they climbed out of: the one that showed the hall that Melania was in.

The ghost girl was now backing up to the opposite side of the hall to charge at the locked door, but the movement from outside had caught the corner of her eye.

Melania seemed really angry at the fact that her powers refused to work properly. Well, maybe if they could just keep her from getting to the _key _to the Specter Deflector, they wouldn't even need to follow through with the rest of this plan. It would be much simpler if they called Danny now to come and capture her while she was in this weakened state...

Melania's head snapped to the side to stare out of the window, and her eyes widened briefly in surprise before she ran towards the window.

Tucker went to run down the street, but Sam gestured for him to stay. Melania opened the window fluidly and jumped out, landing feet first on the ground.

Sam let her approach her with a calm expression on her face. The ghost grabbed the teen by the collar of her black shirt, saying quietly, "Give... me... the key."

"What key?" Sam asked, further infuriating the ghost.

"You know very well..." Melania willed energy to flow to her fingertips with difficulty—a weak purple light that flickered sluggishly that was conducted onto Sam's shoulders.

The Goth winced quietly, but she'd felt a lot worse from the ghost girl before. "Is that the best you've got?"

Melania released Sam and stared down at her pale blue hands furiously, "Why can't I focus my powers?" The already feeble energy dissipated from her hands and faded into nothing.

Tucker bit his lip as he silently pled with Sam to take this chance to flee, but Sam stood there resolutely.

"Can't you guess why?" Sam asked, "But you'd need a _key _to get rid of that belt, and it's hidden... somewhere you'll never find it." Okay, so that was a fib, but she wanted to see the ghost girl's face at the statement!

However, this spurred the ghost a little further than Sam had intended. The Gale Gem flashed an even brighter blood red for a second and both Sam and Tucker turned away their gazes immediately. They'd almost forgotten about that small detail. But, luckily neither of them stared at it long enough to fall under its spell. Melania seemed to grow in demeanor once again, "Oh, I don't think that a key will be necessary..."

The dark red energy pulsating from the Gem flowed down and engulfed the ghost's body. She floated up a yard or two into the air, heaving a sigh of relief. The energy faded leaving Melania replenished with energy as she grabbed onto the belt around her waist and yanked with all her might, ignoring the pain coursing through her wrists and up her arms for just a moment. The metal groaned and bent before snapping.

Sam and Tucker gazed up in alarm at her as she cast aside the now useless Specter Deflector disdainfully.

"Ah, that's much better..." Melania said, a little worn down as she straightened out the wrinkles in her gown, even though her energy wasn't being diminished. The once blood-red jewel had lost a little of its luster. The Gem only gave her a small energy boost, apparently.

There was a small silence as the two human teenagers looked slowly at one another. "Can we panic _now?_" Tucker asked Sam slowly, who nodded stiffly.

Melania arched an eyebrow at them, daring them to do something. And, with that challenge, both Sam and Tucker bolted down the street, praying that Danny would finish setting up the weapons in time!

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you want to stay setting this up? If she does manage to see you, you can kiss this plan good-bye!" Vlad inquired.<p>

Danny replied as he secured the gun he held to the top of the lamp's pole, "Tough luck, Vlad; I'm not moving until each of those guns are mounted on these poles!" He gestured down to the ground where the pile of similar automatic weapons was. The ladder he was perched on teetered slightly, and he gave a slight "whoa" of discomfort. He couldn't use his powers to get up there because these guns had special microchips installed inside of them that his parents had called 'ectosensors' in them. Using any ecto-energy around these babies would result in disaster! Danny knew that he couldn't very well fight her if he couldn't look at her, so it would be easier if something else could do the job for him. He'd gotten the weapons from the Fenton Works security system since he knew that they'd be coming in really quickly and needed the guns to automatically begin once Melania showed up. So, these did the job well. Of course, Danny would need to morph back to human mode as soon as possible.

He climbed down the steps of the ladder until he reached the bottom and walked slowly towards the pitcher's mound. Vlad asked him suddenly, "Do you think that your friend will be able to distract her for long enough? It's not very likely."

"Gee, you're sure optimistic," Danny said indignantly. "This will work. This _has _to work."

"Alright, alright, Daniel. I believe you..."

Vlad strolled up to the boy, holding up a restraining device. "Where would you like this?"

Danny looked at it thoughtfully before looking at the backstop behind the home base of the baseball diamond. He then looked at what was right across from the backstop near the second base and saw a tall oak tree standing alone, yet near a grove of trees around twenty yards from the baseball diamond.

"Ah, attach it to one of those low branches." he gestured to the tree. Vlad raised his eyebrows expectantly, in a way that annoyed Danny exceedingly. "Please." he muttered.

"Good boy!" the man chuckled, earning a raspberry from the teenager.

He went off towards the tree as Danny stooped over to grab another of the guns when Sam's voice suddenly started yelling in his ear—literally; the halfa jumped, fumbling with the gun and accidentally dropped it in the process. "_Danny you finish up over there __**right NOW!**__"_

"What—what's happening?" Danny stuttered.

"_Melania's gaining on us, Danny! Both me and Tucker! Are you finished yet?"_

Danny frowned, "I thought that a ghost's power got weakened when you used the Specter Deflector on it! You can't tell me she's _that _powerful!"

"_Well, she apparently got energy from that darned jewel and got the strength to rip the belt off! Now it's broken! __**Hurry up!**__"_

The hybrid's eyes widened and he started to sprint out of the baseball diamond. Vlad noticed this and called out, "Daniel, where are you going?"

Danny didn't answer; instead, he switched to ghost mode as soon as he reached the edge of the ball park. The billionaire switched as well, teleporting to avoid the immediate blasts that the guns shot at him.

He appeared right in front of Danny, who was now half a block away from the park. Plasmius grabbed him by the collar of his jumpsuit and dragged him down to the ground down an alley. He forced him down and crouched beside him.

"What in the blazes do you think you're doing?" Vlad hissed.

"They're in trouble; she's getting too close to them! I need to help them!" Danny snapped back, panicking.

A commotion could be heard from a couple blocks over—close to the high school. Low booms and yells were echoing and bouncing off of the buildings and the Ghost Shield. Danny stared at Vlad in response to this, as if to prove his point.

But suddenly, it stopped. Just like that, it stopped. Both of the halfas' eyes widened in alarm as they spent the next couple moments in silence. However, as soon as Danny had stood up to go investigate, Tucker's voice came on the Fenton Phones in a hushed tone.

"_Okay, Danny—on second thought, we're doing better now. I think she's lost us... thank heaven..."_

"Why? What did you do to lose her?" Danny eagerly asked.

"_You know the maze? Just outside town in that one field?" _he asked.

"Yeah, you went in there?" Danny creased his eyebrows in confusion. It was a maze made of thick hedges that Amity Park used every year towards Halloween. They decked it out in pumpkins and everything and whoever got to the end first won a money prize. They went in _there, _seriously?

Tucker went silent for a couple moments before continuing, "_Ah...thought that was her for a second! Yeah, we went in there and slipped into that area. Sam and I both thought that it'd be easier to lose her since it's both dark and, well, a __**maze **__in here! But, all it managed to do was split us apart... I don't really know where Sam is at the moment."_

"Have you contacted her yet?"

"_I'm about to; I just thought I'd tell you that we're doing fine now. So go back to putting up the trap and hurry. The silence in here's giving me the creeps..."_

"Okay... I _still_ need to save Sam and Tucker before this gets too ugly!" Danny tried to stand up quickly only to have Vlad shove him back down into a sitting position.

"_Sssh!" _Vlad held up a finger to his mouth as Danny glared indignantly at the older halfa. "Not just yet. Not all of the weapons are set up and you said so yourself—you have to wait precisely until the right moment to reveal yourself!" he whispered calmly.

"_Are you kidding me? _I can't just let Melania tear Sam and Tucker to shreds! This was my plan, not yours, Plasmius! I can do whatever I want. I can improvise, I'm good at that!_" _Danny hissed.

Plasmius put a gloved hand over the anxious boy's mouth, "Listen to me, Daniel. It's not quite ready yet. If you show yourself too early, there wouldn't be enough weapons to subdue her and it wouldn't work. You don't want _that _now do you? Not to mention the fact that she'd eventually get you to look at her and you'd lose control anyway!" He lowered his hand to hear the boy's reaction, trusting he'd calmed down at least a little.

Danny, unfortunately, wasn't in the mood to listen to his archenemy's reasoning. "I don't care, Plasmius! Maybe I'll find a way to get the Gem away from her somehow, but you can't expect me to just sit here!" The boy whined as he fidgeted restlessly in the hiding place, longingly staring out into the street.

"_Yes, you must! _Your little friends are doing just fine on their own at the moment. Melania's still kept busy and they're at a safe distance. Relax." Plasmius kept a firm hold around the teen's shoulders to make sure he complied. "You're about as stubborn as your parents... probably even _more_." he muttered, remembering how he had to twist their arms and legs to agree to leave the city's boundaries. They noticed that Danny wasn't upstairs, which made them anxious once again, but Vlad had quickly covered up by telling them that he'd already left. Thank heavens that they didn't doubt the reassurances of their old college buddy!

"...I guess you're right..." Danny decided, ignoring what Vlad added on at the end. "After all, I've seen Mel fly. She's not that fast. They can outrun her for at _least _a couple more minutes." He slumped his shoulders in consent.

Vlad slowly released the boy, still a little unsure if the teen was going to change his mind again or not. "Okay," he said hesitantly, "I want you to just... stay out of sight and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. But _don't _you _dare _move unless your life depends on it! I'll be at the ball park setting up the rest of the weapons..."

"But I want to help—"

"_I_ don't want you to move an _inch_. Do you have the final touch all ready?"

Danny nodded as his hand twitched involuntarily towards a pocket and Vlad sighed, "Contact me if anything goes awry..." Plasmius looked sharply at the boy again. "_Stay out of sight. _That's an order."

"You're not the boss of me..." Danny replied indignantly, although complied and turned invisible.

The elder halfa disappeared from beside the boy, and Danny sighed, turning his green eyes back to the street. The crickets were chirping at a moderate pace; it was a pleasantly warm night, but Danny shivered slightly. Of course, not because of the weather, but because of his anxiety. Silence. More silence; nothing except the crickets could be heard.

Temptation and a nervous curiosity grew in the pit of his stomach. He bit his lip; Vlad would kill him if he dared move, but he didn't like the thought of his two best friends separated and wandering around a dark maze with a powerful hot-tempered ghost hot on their trail... The last time a ghost like _that_ was after his friends and family, it caused some almost permanent damage...

"Ah, to _heck_ with staying here!" Danny muttered in defeat, standing up in the alley and marching invisibly towards the street. "Sorry, Vlad, but you should know me enough to at _least_ know that I don't take orders from fruit loops!" And with that, he took off towards the outskirts of town.

* * *

><p><em>Darn it!<em> Sam thought as she sprinted down the long corridor and veered left. Where on Earth was Tucker? Apparently while they'd been running, he'd gone down another path and they'd been split. She didn't know where Tuck was, and now she wasn't quite sure where she was herself. She could barely see a thing except the stars above her and the dim green glow of the Shield and to a point where she sometimes smacked into the hedges at dead ends.

"_Sam?" _

"Tucker... where are you?"

"_Well, __**I **__don't know; where are __**you?**__" _the techno geek asked irritatedly.

"I don't _know," _Sam growled. The sound of muffled lightly running footsteps on grass came from in front of her around the bend to the right. "Wait—ah, I can hear you, Tucker..." she said quietly.

"_What do you mean you can hear me? I'm not doing anything that would make any noise, Sam." _Tucker said from the other end, leaning against the wall for a break.

Sam paled as she realized who it must've been; from right around the bend there was a light ghostly glow emanating from whatever was coming towards her. She started backing up the way she had come, gulping before whispering, "Tuck, at this point I think you're safer where you are. You don't want to be where I am..."

Tucker didn't reply, but Sam didn't think on it as she backed up and turned right around the corner. Why wasn't Melania coming faster? Sam peeked around the corner into the hall Melania had just entered curiously. Her answer was given by the ghost, who had stopped running and could float only an inch off of the floor, slowly making her way down the hall as though she were preoccupied—and that's just exactly what she was.

She was concentrating on turning intangible to phase through the walls, but apparently her energy supply was depleted from using it up on taking the Specter Deflector off. "Still can't focus all my powers..." she hissed. "I don't dare use the Gem again though... it's starting to run out of energy... Stupid girl... when I get my hands on her, I'll..." Melania's head jerked up.

She noticed Sam. Oh snap. Melania's scowl was refreshed with wrath as she began to run swiftly towards the end of the hall. Sam's eyes widened and she felt her legs finally respond. She began to bolt down the hall.

Sam saw a faint light at the end of the corridor. Not bright, but it was the same shade that the sky was currently; light enough to let her know that there was an exit at the end. Could that be the exit? It seemed too good to be true! Her adrenaline kicked up a notch with this added hope.

But wait! What about Tucker? She couldn't just leave him in the maze! But, she couldn't very well turn back to look for him either. Melania wasn't giving her much of a choice, now was she?

Right as she was about to weep for joy at the thought that she might be able to outrun the pursuing ghost, she felt a cold hand clamp down on her throat and wrench her back. Her legs flew out from underneath her with the inertia of her running still going. Melania pinned her against the hedge on their left side.

"I'm going to be quite honest with you; I am going to hurt you. _Really bad_." Melania whispered slowly and reassuringly nodded as Sam squirmed against her clammy grip.

Sam slowly felt around her waist and clamped her sweaty hand around the end of several tools she had behind her back. The Fenton Fisher, the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick... and finally a gun she had been saving for a moment like this and pulled it out. "Really? Not before I do _this_." She pulled the trigger.

Melania doubled over in pain as the resulting ectoblast hit her point blank in the stomach. Her hold on Sam slackened and the Goth took the opportunity to begin running again. However, she only made it a few steps before she tripped; Melania had grabbed her by the ankle and hauled her up again.

"That just about did it... I've absolutely _had it _with your constant meddling! I _was _going to keep you alive for persuading your friend Danny Phantom once he returned, but I guess there's always the other one... what's his name again? The annoying one with the glasses and a fondness for technology?"

"Tucker?" Sam blandly answered.

"Yes, _Tucker_. Thank you." the ghost said courteously.

Sam flatly replied, "Don't mention it."

The ghost girl went back to her original tone, "Yes, well, there's always Tucker. So, you're expendable. No offense. Oh, and there's no Danny to save you, is there?" She giggled.

"_Actually..._ there is." a boy's voice casually chuckled in response to Melania's rhetorical question.

Melania tensed up suddenly, her grip on Sam's shoulders tightening as her eyes flashed brighter in the darkness. She slowly let go of the girl and turned around to look at the white-haired ghost boy, who was gazing up at the stars.

"Back so soon?" she asked calmly, yet inside she was brimming with both fury and excitement. She'd expected him to at least take a little longer and it angered her that he was able to get back so quickly, but she guessed that she shouldn't complain. Now at least she was within reach of the key to this ridiculous cage! If only he would look at her... _Why _wasn't he looking at her? "Back at all?"

"Yes, I'm finally back. Well, I'm afraid I've got a bone to pick with you, Melania... You see, it's not very nice to dump people in the middle-of-nowhere. I think that's a given. But, you sure crossed the line when you gave me Mr. Mayor's company!"

"Forgive me for my sense of humor..." Melania chuckled mildly, closing her eyes nonchalantly. "But, he didn't know what was going on and got in the way, so he went too. You can't blame me for something the man was subliminally at fault for!"

Danny laughed loudly at that, "HA! I knew it was his own fault that he got dragged in too, whether he knew it or not. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen! Take _that, _Plasmius! Did ya hear that?"

Both Melania and Sam glanced at each other in confusion as Vlad appeared in the air beside the younger. "Yes... heard you loud and clear. But, I fail to see where it's my fault if I wasn't aware of the circumstances! It's still your fault, Daniel, _you're _the one who beat her father; she's mad at _you!_" he hissed. He'd finished setting up the weapons, and now the trap was set. He'd tried communicating with Daniel, but the blasted boy didn't answer! So, he'd come here after hearing a commotion from the area.

"Oh, boy, I feel like a broken record here! You're the one who locked him in the sarcophagus, so she's equally ticked at _you!_"

"I'm sorry," Melania interrupted. "But are both of you under the impression that I'm doing this to avenge my _father?_"

Danny and Vlad nodded slowly.

"Ha! Do you ever have it backwards! If anything, I'm doing this out of shear revenge _against _my father! I'm going to do what he never did, and I'm _going_ to accomplish it!" She was getting angrier... she felt insulted by the insinuation she was doing this out of love for Pariah, so therefore her pride was already being bruised. It was perfect!

Wow. She seemed _really ticked. _He could only imagine what murderous thoughts were racing through the ghost girl's mind. Danny rubbed his chin; perhaps it was dangerous to pull off this plan. After all, he had barely even shown up and she was already seething! Well, he already knew she was a really temperamental ghost. Maybe it would be both easier and faster to get her to crack. _Let's see just how irritated Mel can get!_

Danny flew up out of the maze so he hovered about twenty yards above it. Vlad followed, wondering what the boy had planned to annoy the ghost. It would most likely work. After all, the younger hybrid's mind was filled to the brim with banter!

Melania decided to get another energy boost from the Gem, which gave her enough to fly higher up and use her powers more efficiently. Sam was left down below.

"Phase two..." Danny muttered to himself.

"Hey, Mel. Do you mind if I call you Mel? Or would you prefer Mellie?" Danny asked in a would-be friendly way. He took on a thoughtful look as he heard the ghost girl growl under her breath, "Yeah, on second thought I totally agree with you. Maybe _not _Mellie. It sounds a little too much like Smelly." The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Yes, he knew he was playing with fire here, but it was a necessary part of the plan. And isn't that what he did on a regular basis? Play with fire?

Melania clenched her hands into fists with a dangerous look in her eyes, teeth gritted as she asked quietly, "_What..._ did you just say to me?"

Vlad rubbed his temples as he closed his eyes and shook his head, wincing, "Daniel? Don't you think that one is stretching it a bit?"

"Mel it is, then! Oh, don't worry yourself, V-Man! What's she gonna do about it? Tattle-tale on me to Daddy? Ha!" Danny gave a laugh, flashing a self-aggrandizing smile at the ghost girl.

That last line did it. The ghost's light blue complexion quickly turned to an almost cerulean shade, her red eyes glowing menacingly. "I'm going to make you regret those words, Phantom." Melania's hands were enveloped in an indigo shade of energy at this point and she swiped at Danny's unprotected side, knocking him backwards several yards.

"Think you might've taken it a little too far?" Vlad called over to the boy, holding his hands behind his back.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that!" Danny mumbled, dazed, all traces of wit gone from his voice.

Melania's frown deepened before she waved again and the wind picked up. It started off as a soft humming breeze and wavered before shooting up in speed to a whistling gust. It wavered again, teetering in between a gust and a breeze before shooting up into a roaring nor'easter wind. The ghost girl had no problem in floating in one place, but Danny and Vlad struggled against the gale. The overcast sky was churning, a sickly shade of green as a column began to swiftly descend from the base of the blanketed sky.

Danny stared up at the cloud in disbelief at first, his mind not processing what his eyes were seeing for a couple seconds. Then he suddenly realized what was happening. "This can't be good," he chuckled nervously, looking over at Vlad, who was staring up into the sky curiously as well. The funnel cloud slammed into the ground a couple hundred yards away from them, wrenching up long grass out of the soil in the process. The tornado didn't appear to be too strong. It was long, thin, and ropelike, twisting and bending all over the place as it began to wind its way towards them.

"No, that won't do. How about..." Melania snapped her fingers, and the column of wind morphed in size and shape to a stronger and wider funnel. On a scale, now it was probably on the borderline between F2 and F3.

"Yes, that's better." Melania smirked and leaned back, crossing her legs leisurely as she watched the show unfold.

Both of the hybrids floated transfixed with horror at the sight as the tornado made its way towards them. The howl of wind grew louder and louder until it was deafening. And, before either of them knew it, both Danny and Vlad were sucked into the funnel.

Melania stayed outside, unaffected by the storm as she watched the writhing and twisting column of wind for several minutes before anything else happened.

Inside of the tornado, Vlad mustered all of his strength and teleported from the strong current of air, even though Danny wasn't quite so lucky to be freed from it yet. He reappeared in front of the red-eyed ghost, who had moved out of the storm's path and right by the outermost building; she folded her arms and arched her eyebrows. A barely detectable smile was on her lips.

"Just hand it over, you little brat! Then I _might_ even consider letting you go free!" Plasmius hissed, looking disheveled as his red eyes glowing fiercely in the darkness around them as the wind whipped at him, tossing his red and white cape about him. Now that Daniel was still a little preoccupied, he wouldn't be able to hear this taking place. If only he could get it before the teenager got away from the tornado... He made sure not to keep the item in question within eyesight, lowering his eyes and gluing them to the ghost's small feet instead.

Melania straightened up, widening her eyes in false surprise, "Oh, you want... _this?_" She faintly pointed up to the blood-red jewel embedded at the front of her golden diadem. Even though he wasn't looking at it to know what she was gesturing at, Plasmius scowled. She grinned maliciously, "I'm sorry, but I'm not just going to _give _it to you! If you want something that badly, you need to _work _for it... There's never any real satisfaction from being handed everything you want on a silver platter, you know... But, of course, you would know all about _working_, wouldn't you, Vlad Plasmius?" She laughed cruelly as the wind of her own creation played lightly with her hair and the hem of her long black dress.

Plasmius stared quizzically for a moment at the ghost's feet and Melania nonverbally explained by gesturing directly at the tornado. It was currently tearing through the outskirts of Amity Park, trying to continue its path onward into the flat plains beyond the town, only to be halted by the ghost shield. Even if one looked very hard, they couldn't see the actual boy that Melania was referring to, yet Plasmius's face hardened into a lethal glare.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't play coy; you know exactly what I'm talking about! I've heard a lot about what you're trying to accomplish—Walker's prison has gossip galore circulating to all of its corners, _even_ to the cells with the highest security! I may not have all of the details of what is going on, but I also have terrific insight. It's very _adorable_, I think, the way you persevere to win the boy's affections, but tell me... Is it working?" Melania inquired, her sneer fading to a saddened expression, almost sincerely. Vlad clammed up as the ghost nodded sadly in understanding to this response. "Yes, that's what I thought... I feel your pain, I know what it feels like—to love and not receive it back... It hurts, doesn't it?" she asked, this time taking on a sad and low empathetic tone.

Vlad blinked, not saying anything for a moment while he repeatedly opened and shut his mouth; he was unsure of what to make out of this sudden swing in attitude from the ghost girl, but the subject matter was pretty below the belt at the moment. He felt his cheeks heat up a little as he stared around, flustered. Finally he shook it off; he could see through this charade. "You're trying to manipulate my emotions... It's not working."

The ghost girl grinned again; another mood swing back to her previous attitude as she whispered contentedly, "Oh, and you're trying to take what I've rightfully stolen—er, inherited." her grin widened even more. "And _isn't it working?_... You can't possibly tell me that it doesn't pain you when I point out the fact that you don't have what you really want! I can see it in your eyes!" Plasmius snarled, his eyes inflaming to an even more brilliant shade of red.

He shot an ectoblast at the girl, who disappeared in a purple flash and reappeared behind him, arms folded.

"I've heard a lot about Vlad Masters during my years in the prison... Like the fact that fate has been cruel to him! An accident caused by his so-called best friend left him a social outcast rotting for _years _and _years _of torment without end in a hospital while he in the meantime courted the love of his life!" Vlad shot at her again, but she reappeared again to the side in the same unguarded position. "_Yet... _In spite of it all, he rose up out of the ashes and became mightily successful; many men would kill to be in his shoes! Yet, even though he could buy all of the pleasures in life he still didn't even have the one thing he wanted above all: _love_." Plasmius clenched both his hands into fists, a dark energy swelling up in his grasp, trying his best not to listen to what the ghost was saying. "A family—a wife and adoring son to be the heir of all his knowledge and fortune—all of that taken away from him by that imbecile named _Jack Fenton!_"

"_Must you mention that name to me right now?_" Plasmius hissed through gritted teeth, quickly lunging forward and swinging his left leg so that it connected into the unwary girl's side. Melania cried out as she was knocked to the side in the air, but she recomposed herself just as fast.

The ghost acted as if she hadn't heard Plasmius say anything, "And to make it _worse, _if even possible, the only one in the world who is like him, the only one who could possibly know what it is like to be a freak of nature... _despises him... _Yes... fate has been cruel to Vlad Masters..." Melania ended on a soft sibilant tone, narrowing her eyes and grinning to match her tone with malice. She suddenly found herself being dangled in the air by the throat, yet even at this predicament, the ghost kept up her complacent smile without wavering. In fact, she grinned even wider.

"Do you know what I say? I say that you know a little _too much_ about Vlad Masters..." Vlad snarled, raising his glowing free fist to inflict pain upon the ghost girl.

"Hmm... _you also _say that if I hand over my Gale Gem, you _might _let me go. Well, here's what _I _say—_you _get that irritating boy of yours to lower this blasted shield and I _might _let you live!" she giggled in the same manner as her smile. "And maybe because I'm feeling generous at the moment, I _might _just give you a portion of this realm for you to rule over... if you willingly help me."

Plasmius paused and cocked his head to the side, remaining silent for a moment, "On second thought, you might not know too much about me. If you did, you would know that I don't work for _anyone _except _myself!_" He got ready to attack the girl again.

"I figured just as much, Vlad. Still, you can't blame this ghost for distracting her opponent..." Melania sighed happily and Vlad frowned in confusion. His unasked question, however, was answered almost immediately by a deafening roar of wind.

Meanwhile the funnel cloud had looped around again, coming towards the two feuding ghosts. Plasmius paused as he suddenly noticed the column of wind approaching swiftly, having not detected it until then because of his anger. Melania shrugged haughtily as he looked back at her nervously.

However, a faint screaming could be heard from inside, and the two ghosts stared into the tornado as it became suddenly louder; green waves emanated from somewhere inside the funnel, throbbing outward weakly at first but then immensely stronger. Vlad sighed as he realized what was happening before he and Melania were thrust into the brick wall of a small apartment building. Plasmius grimaced and looked sideways to see how his current adversary was faring. The girl was being pressed ruthlessly into the hard brick wall, arms and legs twisted out at uncomfortable angles. The idea apparently wasn't occurring to either of them to phase through the wall, since they were both a little too preoccupied with their pain. To bear with his own, Plasmius had instinctively tightened his grip on Melania's throat, crushing her even more than she was already feeling. The wall was beginning to crumble and sway...

The tornado dissipated as the waves of Danny's wail dispersed the winds and slowly died down. Still being driven by the inertia of the circular movement of the tornado, Danny was propelled outward and into the same brick wall only lower and a little further to the left. Danny fell the rest of the way to the ground, almost losing his ghost form to fatigue, yet somehow he managed to maintain it. Plasmius, however, morphed and slid down in human form as soon as he wasn't being pinned to the wall by Danny's Ghost Wail and nearly lost consciousness. Fortunately, the wail wasn't as strong as normal, so it didn't shatter the Ghost Shield.

Melania groaned, still seemingly plastered and stretched across the surface of the building. Where had _that _come from? She was sure that Phantom wouldn't have the strength to be capable of something like that! Well, the boy certainly didn't have that power anymore, at least. The ghost girl gingerly moved her limbs from their awkward positions, growling as she noticed that an imprint of her body had been pressed into the crumbling bricks. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, even landing on the cracked pavement since she was too sore to even float two inches off of the ground; she teetered slightly and set her palm on her forehead before collapsing to her hands and knees right beside the feebly stirring Vlad, the scrapes on her body oozing green ectoplasm.

Vlad languidly opened his eyes as he registered the sound of the girl breathing raggedly above him; he realized it was a mistake a little too late. Melania had a winning smile on her face as she realized that maybe _she _was too wiped out to fight... but the older hybrid wouldn't be just yet... She whispered some instructions in the man's ear and his ears perked up, seemingly regaining his energy.

Danny panted heavily as he slowly sat up; his face contorted in pain. _Whoa, that huuuuuuurt..._ he thought as he rubbed the back of his aching neck. He bitterly realized that in his desperation, his screams in that tornado had turned into his Wail... Now he almost wished it hadn't, because now he wasn't left with enough energy to fight off the ghost. That's what he _hated _about that power... it was his double-edged sword. However much it could wipe out his enemies quickly, it was really _really _energy-consuming. If only it _wasn't_ so _energy-consuming_, he would probably use it more!

"Okay..." Danny panted out, "I think now's the time to quit using my banter."

Suddenly Plasmius had him by the collar of his jumpsuit, wrenching him up into the air to his eye-level. Danny gasped, still dazed from the drainage of energy he was experiencing.

"Vlad... what are you doing...? I believe Melania is... over there, dude..." he smiled faintly, pointing over to where the ghost sat on the asphalt, who was also smiling pleasantly.

Plasmius didn't say anything, instead growling and bringing up his knee into Danny's stomach. Danny moaned, doubling over in the elder's grasp.

"Uuuugh! What was _that _for?" his confusion turned into an indignant tone.

"For causing this whole nightmare! It was all your fault I got sucked off into that blasted forest!" Vlad accusingly shouted at the boy, his red eyes boring into Danny's own blue ones. "You see, even ghosts who have never_ met_ you before hate you! They know all they need to know, all because of your quaint little hero complex! And I? I was the unfortunate bystander of one of your enemies' plots and got pulled in as well!" He ended on a low hiss as he shook the teenager by his shoulders. Even though Danny was now filled with anger, he was still exhausted and his head wobbled and jerked back and forth on his shoulders as the furious ghost shook him.

"Oh! So you're still going on about that, are you? Well, _fruit loop, _now isn't really the time to take it out on me if you haven't noticed! Try channeling your fury on... hmm... oh, I don't know?... maybe _that ghost sitting __**right behind you**__?_" Danny yelled back angrily.

The older hybrid ignored this also and threw the wiped out teenager back into the wall, the younger giving a strangled cry before slamming into it. Danny was flushed with anger by now; how could that jerk still be blaming _him _for what had happened in the past couple weeks when the ghost who actually shoved the two of them through that portal in the first place was _right in front of him?_ You'd think that he would be attacking the ghost responsible, not Danny! Of course, he wasn't aware of the man's state of mind at that particular moment—that he had succumbed to the power of the Gem. The teen mustered up enough energy and turned back into Phantom, lunging back towards Plasmius.

"YOU'RE SUCH A **JERK**!" Danny yelled, executing a well-aimed punch to Plasmius's jaw. Vlad reacted emotionlessly by shaking his head slightly and cracking his knuckles threateningly. "AFTER ALL THOSE DAYS OF SAVING EACH OTHERS' NECKS OVER AND OVER AGAIN, HOW COULD YOU BE so... so...? AAAH!" Danny was caught off guard as Plasmius wrenched him up into the air and pinned him by the throat to the wall with his forearm.

"Oh, and _how _may I ask did you, quote, 'save _my _neck'? If I remember correctly, it was _I _who did all of the saving..." Vlad said matter-of-factly, smiling unpleasantly as the panting boy scowled at him.

"I... I... _I _was the one who led us out of that mess! If it wasn't for the fact that I got my powers back before you, you'd still be wandering around lost in that forest!—Or even dead! You wouldn't have known which way to go to find that camp or any other form of civilization, so you would have starved!" Danny leaned forward towards Vlad's face with difficulty, grunting a little because of the added pressure to his throat, but still doing so to emphasize the point that he wasn't intimidated in the least by Plasmius's actions. The boy smiled darkly, "And... not to mention all of the times where I _could've _left you in the dust to rot, but chose not to... because I have moral fiber like that."

Vlad laughed derisively before digging his forearm deeper into Danny's throat, causing him to make an awkward choking sound. Then, seemingly deciding that this position was getting a little old, Plasmius hauled Danny's body away from the wall and dangled him in the air by the wrists. "Moral fiber..." Plasmius scoffed, "That's a good one... Oh, please, Daniel, don't flatter yourself! You must be a fool if you believed that you actually saved my life back there and that you're the reason I'm standing here right now! A real fool _like your father!_ I could've gotten out of that forest one way or another _without _your assistance—and I _would've, _too!"

Danny paused for a moment in his struggles against Vlad's hold, getting tenser and redder in the face by the second as if he were trying to hold something in. Plasmius chuckled right before the dam burst and Danny let out everything. "WHY YOU ARROGANT, PROUD, CONCEITED, POMPOUS..." he continued on in a ranting list of adjectives in as loud of a voice he could carry without immediately going hoarse. Vlad blankly stared in surprise at the furious teenager that was struggling to get his wrists out of his grasp. Even Melania, who was watching amused from the sidelines, blinked and let her mouth open slightly in a vacantly flabbergasted manner. She sheepishly started giggling silently as she continued listening to the teen's rampaging; she had sort of tuned out the middle part in her astonishment.

By now, Plasmius had gotten out of his shock and had started shouting back at Danny; his old self was kicking in and vaguely registering through his hypnotized state that the child was insulting him. Even though he was still under the Gale Gem's power, his prideful mind was sort of starting to overthrow Melania's control.

Melania wasn't realizing this, though; she was just getting more and more amused as she looked at the two bickering ghosts, whose shouting had become so jumbled and mixed up that the words could no longer be deciphered to her. But, if she could've, she would've heard something like this:

"...YOU WERE HOLDING ME BACK; I COULD'VE GOTTEN BACK HOME MUCH SOONER IF I DIDN'T HAVE YOU DRAGGING ME DOWN, AND I DON'T EVEN GET SO MUCH AS A THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH YOU TILL THE END..." Danny was yelling.

"...IT WAS LIKE I WAS BABYSITTING YOU THE WHOLE ORDEAL THROUGH! IT SEEMED EVERY OTHER MINUTE YOU WERE GETTING INTO SOME FORM OF TROUBLE, FIRST THE SPRAINED ANKLE, THEN A RABID WOLF AND FALLING INTO A FREEZING RIVER..." Vlad bellowed, starting to shake Danny back and forth again.

Both sustained their squabbling with each other for a couple minutes without drawing breath, it seemed to the ghost witnessing this. She watched as if she were viewing a tennis match as Vlad let go of Danny and kicked him hard in the torso, sending the teenager back a couple feet. Danny immediately recomposed himself and shot several green beams; the first three Plasmius evaded, the last one snagging him on his left shin. This went on for another couple of minutes until Plasmius again caught the boy by his wrists again as he aimed another punch.

Danny snapped out of his anger as he heard Melania's loud laughter from the ground below them. Oh, how gloriously hilarious it must have been for the ghost; her job was being done for her... _Wait just a minute..._. Danny thought, eyebrows risen in understanding at last. _She's controlling him..._

The boy looked directly at Vlad to confirm the reddened eyes that were the hoisted ensign of being controlled by either the crystal ball or the Gale Gem, but in vain. He cursed inwardly since Plasmius's eyes were solid red in the first place, so he couldn't very well confirm his suspicions—that is, unless he morphed back to Masters, and something told Danny that that wasn't going to happen. However, he kind of figured it was so since this behavior was quite irrational, even from him. He glared at Melania as he shook uncontrollably in his efforts to break away from the elder halfa's hold. Vlad had increased the pressure on his wrists to the point that Danny groaned in pain, convinced that the hypnotized ghost was fracturing his bones.

"Vlad, _snap out of it!_ You're being controlled by—!" he yelled, but the message fell on deaf ears. Plasmius just swung him around and slammed him into the ground. Danny made a strangled cry as he was yanked up again. His head was spinning from the whiplash and his shoulders felt like they had been dislocated from their sockets.

"Dang it, Melania!" he yelled in annoyance through his gritted teeth, "Why can't you just overshadow people like any _normal _ghost?" _Then at least I could do something about it!_

Melania had finally found the strength to break her contact with the ground, now floating at the same height as Vlad and Danny and a couple yards away from them, "I would, you know, but I find that it not only brings me a little too close for comfort to said person, but I also have to do the work... I find that _this, _however, is much more convenient! I don't have to bother with the tedious task of squabbling with you, and I also get free entertainment. Frankly, this is the only reason I respect my father; he had the decency to leave me this lovely trinket for my inheritance!"

"Uuugh... _let—go—of—me!"_ Danny stammered out.

Danny's mind was running on full speed; how could he get Vlad to snap out of her control? He remembered that what he was dealing with was just like the Freakshow incident. After all, Freakshow's crystal ball had been based on this gem, right? Let's see... what made _him _overthrow it? Oh, yeah; Sam's life had been in jeopardy at the time. It had to be something really shocking, really surprising, to get you out of that kind of trance. Danny gleefully smiled as he came to this conclusion, taking on a distressed attitude as he yelled again.

"_Vlad!_ The Packers have lost the Super Bowl!"

"What?" Vlad suddenly stopped shouting and widened his eyes for a fraction of a second in disbelief, "No, it can't be true!"

His grip on Danny's arms slightly slackened as he blinked sluggishly. _Hmm... _still slightly dazed. Another shock probably wouldn't hurt!

"I'm afraid it's true, Cheesehead!" A faux sob of utter despair came from Danny's throat before he pretended to notice something behind the older hybrid. He gasped dramatically, "Oh no! Vlad, my mom is about to fall off a building!"

"**MADDIE!**" Plasmius's eyes were as big as saucers as he gazed up at the top of the gestured building that Maddie was supposedly falling off of, but noticed that no one was there.

He let go of Danny's right wrist to put his hand up to his forehead. The younger hybrid was still trying to pull his arm out of the elder's grasp, and, when Plasmius let go suddenly, had inertia pulling him outward by the arm, yet his left wrist was still anchored in Vlad's death-grip. As he swung outward like a door, Danny squeezed his eyes shut and heard a loud slapping noise behind him.

Danny slowly opened his eyes and turned towards where the sound had come from, seeing a _really_ shocked and _really_ ticked off ghost girl that was holding her right cheek in the palm of her hand, flustered. Vlad, who was just getting over the dazed feeling, let go of Danny's other wrist and turned his gaze back to Danny and Melania, quite uncertain what exactly had just happened.

Danny blinked, a little unsure of how he should react to this. Did he just _backhand _Melania? Unintentionally? Should he... laugh? He didn't know. "I'm... sorry?" he said stupidly instead.

Melania stared at him in shock at first, but that stare quickly morphed into an indignant glare and she just as quickly slammed her fist powerfully into Danny's jaw, sending him backwards into the elder hybrid.

Stunned, Danny turned his face up at Vlad, "Hello, Unkie Vlad... how are you doing today?"

Vlad wiped some ectoplasm off of the boy's lower lip. "Are you alright, Daniel?" he asked, concerned.

The young halfa shook his head slightly. "No. We need to either get that Gem away from her or get a move on with this thing,_ now._" Danny whispered, his senses somewhat recovered.

"Agreed." Vlad replied, frowning. Now that ghost had done it! That was _the. Final. Straw. _How dare she treat him—the great and powerful Vlad Plasmius—as no more than a... a _puppet?_

Danny straightened himself up. He nodded at Vlad, tilting his head inconspicuously in the general direction of the ball park. It was time to do this thing!

But, it seemed that they wouldn't be executing that part of the plan just yet, for Melania gave a groan as a loud **THUNK! **came from behind her. Her eyes rolled back as she collapsed to the ground, revealing Sam who was standing behind her holding a baseball bat.

"Wow, the Fenton Anti-Creep Stick works!" she said satisfactorily.

Melania's eyes opened and a muscle by the corner of her mouth twitched. By now there was definitely going to be a nasty goose-egg that would form on the back of her head. _That's it! Plan B!_ Before anyone else could do anything, the dark red glow of the Gale Gem surrounded her again, lasting for longer than normal this time. She got up in a flash as soon as the light faded, the red crystal looking even duller than before. She'd drained almost all of the crystal's energy!

The ghost girl picked up Sam by the throat and dragged her back several feet. Danny cried out in protest and slightly stepped forward as Sam squirmed.

"Ah," Melania held up a finger to stop the boy's approach. A light purple-and-grayish hued fire began to flicker on her other hand, beginning to lick at the back of Sam's neck. The Goth's eyes widened and grew watery; she sharply drew in a gulp of air as Melania continued softly, "Not so fast."

Danny halted in his tracks, eyes widened in apprehension. He _knew _it wasn't a good idea to have anyone else helping him at this point! Now that Melania knew he was here, she would be looking for any chance like this to make him do what she said! Darn it!

"Now... I'm sure there's _some_ compromise that we can agree on, wouldn't you agree, Danny?" she smiled, backing up even more from the teen.

"I have something you want—your little girlfriend," she nodded at Sam.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Danny interjected, his pale ghostly complexion going slightly more opaque with embarrassment.

A second later came the slightly delayed response of Sam, "I'm not his girlfriend!"

Melania shrugged, "Whatever floats your boat... And you have something that I want—your DNA..."

"Don't listen to her, Daniel. You can't give her what she wants; it's not an option!" Vlad muttered harshly so only Danny could hear.

"What about Sam?" he snapped back. Vlad creased his eyebrows, not responding. Instead, his eyes were drawn to something right behind the ghost.

The younger hybrid looked as well, trying not to make it look obvious. Tucker had apparently made it out of the maze alright, because there he was, sneaking up behind the ghost recklessly. The techno geek straightened out his red beret determinedly, but his attention turned to Danny once he realized that he was aware of his presence. Tucker pointed at Melania's head, motioned a grabbing movement, and nodded, giving a thumbs up and a smile as if to confirm something with his half ghost friend. Danny understood immediately and nodded almost imperceptibly, which went unnoticed by Melania. Vlad and Sam, however, could. Danny's stomach lurched in excitement as he caught Sam's eye contact and blinked a couple times. Sam understood as well and she shifted her gaze slightly to the side, as if trying to catch a glimpse at whatever was behind them.

Sam shuddered slightly, "Can you let go of me, please? Your hands are _freezing..._"

"Shut it!" the ghost snapped at her captive.

"Now, what do you say, Phantom? Lower the Shield, I'll let your girlfriend go..." Melania chuckled, tightening her hold on Sam's neck. Sam gave a strangled cough.

Danny stared around as if in worry, making odd noises as he opened and closed his mouth. He avoided looking at the ghost, Sam, and Tucker.

"Well? What is your answer?" the ghost narrowed her gaze in annoyance at his unresponsiveness.

Sam raised one of her heavy boots and let it fall onto Melania's foot. Melania, who was wearing nothing protective on her feet except light pointy-toed slippers, shrieked as the boot bore down ruthlessly into her foot. Tucker took his chance and pounced onto her, giving a sort of aggressive hug around her neck. Definitely not the good kind of hug. His weight yanked her down and she awkwardly doubled over. Sam was released once again and she tackled the ghost to the floor in a wrestling pin.

"Let go of me, you little fools!" Melania yelled out in frustration, squirming in their hold. No! They were getting the better of her; _**again!**_

Tucker then slipped the circlet off of her head without her noticing, since she was being jostled all around anyway. He smoothly hid it behind his back as Melania phased out of their grip.

Then, all heck broke loose. She lashed out at Tucker, sending him crashing into the ruined brick wall behind them. The already unstable wall crumbled at his impact and debris covered him instantly. "Tucker!" Danny called out.

The ghost girl turned back to Sam and blasted her across the street. The ground was beginning to shake... Danny's eyes flashed brightly; he lunged at Melania in his fury but the ghost evaded.

Meanwhile, Vlad watched this wide-eyed for a moment, but then blinked and smiled. Now was his chance! His narrowed solid red eyes landed on the pile of rubble which had buried the Foley boy and he darted towards it, unnoticed by the others.

Tucker forced his head through the bricks lying on top of it, breathing in a gulp of fresh air greedily. Ah! He was alive! He pulled out the circlet with a thoughtful frown. Hmm, it was too big as a whole to hide in his pocket... and he'd left his backpack back at Fenton Works. Maybe if he could separate the Gale Gem from the circlet? He put one of his thumbs firmly against the jewel and pressed as hard as he could. It popped out with ease, landing into the palm of his other hand.

Vlad appeared at his side suddenly, earning a shout of surprise from Tucker. The half ghost smiled darkly before clamping a hand down on Tucker's wrist and prying his fingers apart slowly. "Wait, what're you...? Ah!" Tucker cried out. Plasmius snatched the Gem from him.

"_Thank_ you, boy!" he gave a laugh before slipping the Gale Gem into a pocket of his jumpsuit and taking flight once again.

Tucker stared in shock after the elder hybrid, panting in a flustered manner, "_**DANNY!**_" he cried out, struggling to remove the bricks from on top of his legs but found that he couldn't stand. His leg was injured! Oh, crap.

"Danny, help!" Danny heard his name being called urgently, but he vaguely registered it. He was going to follow his father's example and personally tear this ghost apart molecule by molecule! He swung his fist at her, but she turned intangible just in time.

Plasmius reappeared right by him and caught the ghost by her ankle once she regained her solidity. He flung her down to the asphalt below. Melania floated up again quickly, brushing off the dust from her gown and regaining her offensive stance.

"Danny!" Sam's voice caught Danny's attention.

He gave a quick look at the older hybrid and said, "Try starting to lure her towards the park... I'll be back as soon as possible." Vlad nodded in understanding before turning back to Melania.

Danny turned invisible and flew down to ground-level right beside Sam, thus exiting the fray. Vlad could hold her off for just a minute, right? After all, his friends could be in real need of him at that moment.

Sam was standing up shakily, looking battered. "Are you alright?" he asked as he reappeared, concerned.

"Yeah, just small aches and pains..." Sam said in a miserable voice, rubbing the back of her neck, which looked like it had a mild sunburn. "I don't know about Tucker, though. He seems like he needs some help over there." she pointed across the street to the debris of the brick wall.

Tucker could be seen waving urgently, half buried under the rubble. Danny bit his lip and scrunched up his eyebrows in concern. He could be quite hurt! He ran over to his other friend's side.

He immediately began to remove bricks that were lying on top of Tucker's legs. Tucker was sighing in slight relief as the weight of the bricks was eased off of him. However, he was still in quite a bit of pain. One of his legs was definitely fractured, if not broken altogether.

"I'm not even going to ask if you're alright." Danny muttered apologetically. "I'm sorry, Tuck..."

Tucker gave what sounded like both a breathless laugh and a sob, cradling his injured leg as he rocked backward and forward, "What are you... talking about? Don't... don't worry... ab... about _me, _Danny!...!...! I'm _just fiiiiiine..._ now go and finish off that j-jerky... ghost... for me, please? She...!...!... _broke my PDA! _I had four more payments on this one—again!_"_ He pulled out said PDA, wailing as he pointed to the cracked screen. Tucker gasped in pain as he tried to move his leg, which he now suddenly seemed to realize was bleeding profusely and twisted at an odd angle.

Danny frowned worriedly at the injury, "Okay, Tuck, just... hang in there, okay? I'll have to come back after I've dealt with her."

His injured friend seemed to remember something, "W-wait... there's something else I need to tell you, it's important!" Tucker held up a hand in a panic as Danny got ready to take off. "Vlad took—"

The young halfa glanced sharply up at the sky and noticed that the other two weren't fighting up there anymore. There was no sign of them, besides the sonorous echoes of the ectoblasts from a couple blocks over. "I'm sorry Tucker, it'll have to wait! Melania's fighting with Vlad over by where the trap's set; I need to get to the ball park now!" And with that Danny took off, leaving Tucker flustered in the rubble.

"But... Danny, _wait_! He stole..." he groaned, realizing that his half ghost friend was too far away by then to hear. "Oh, well! Guess you'll learn the hard way!" Tucker sighed flatly, lying down in the debris with his arms propping up his head. Looks like he was going to miss all the action...

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><p>Super Danny: Justice... is not served just yet! *frowns*<p>

**Wow. I can't believe I just typed all of that... that's all I have to say. Be sure to let me know what you think! Don't blame me for the cliffy, blame the muses; it'll be the last one of the story, I promise! Have a great day! Toodle-oo for now peoples!**


	20. Chapter 20

**It's... done. Finally... done?**

Fred: Afraid so, Gem.

George: You knew this day would come, though!

**Yeah, I just... can't believe I'm already _done _with it... **

**Well it's been fun! I'd like to thank the reviewers yet again, since they always end up making my day. Without further ado, I, Gemini, give you the final chapter of Survival of the Fittest! So, please enjoy; I'll see you all at the bottom! Let me know what you think! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

_Daniel, if you don't hurry up you just might miss all the __**fun**__..._ Vlad thought dryly as he split into five and surrounded Melania, effectively confusing her for the moment. He brushed the back of his gloved hand across his forehead, wiping off a bead of sweat. _Cheesecakes! _He still wasn't in the best shape for this! However, he hopefully wouldn't have to deal with this ghost for that much longer. They were probably less than a block from the trap anyway. He could tell that it was so since they were nearing the water-tower, which was just on the corner of the park.

"You know, you're pretty good at this." Vlad casually swooped to the side to avoid a dark blast of ecto-energy.

Melania grinned proudly, chuckling as she raised both of her energy-engulfed fists. She blinked and appeared a little closer in radius to the elder half ghost, as a result evading another blast that the other had shot. The ghost girl smiled somewhat as she realized that the man was looking straight at her. Had he learned _nothing?_ She was sure she'd left at least a small amount of energy within the Gem...

The ghost floated backwards as Plasmius lunged after her, arms folded as she concentrated. Vlad paused as he noticed that the girl was not trying to attack anymore. However, once he saw that her eyes were intensely boring into his own, he grinned widely. Ah, so she was going to try _that _again, was she? This was going to be priceless...

She narrowed her eyes in bewilderment as Vlad began to laugh quite loudly. What? No! She didn't drain all of the energy! She had made sure that there was still enough for the Gem to function! Melania immediately raised a hand to her head, but felt nothing where the circlet had been.

"Missing something?" Plasmius taunted from several yards away.

Impossible. How could it be gone? _How? When did this happen?_ Melania looked around in dismay. On the outside she maintained a somewhat calm demeanor, but inside she was panicking. Now she had nothing to lean back on. That crystal was her ace! Sure, she could fight fine on her own, but now without the Gale Gem, she was now starting to slowly lose the little energy she had gained by wielding it. And more importantly, she didn't know if she had dropped it, if it had been stolen... where was it?

Vlad watched complacently, wondering if he should continue trying to lure her onwards or pause to relish in the ghost girl's fear. However, he decided on giving her a moment, since she didn't look like she was quite ready to continue. He himself needed a break as well...

He slouched his shoulders, finally showing how exhausted he truly was. What he needed was more energy... wait. All he needed was... more energy! Plasmius straightened up as he reached inside a pocket, withdrawing the small round jewel in his clenched fist. The Gem was lacking in the brilliant blood red hue that he had heard it had; sure, it was still the color of blood—just _dried _blood. How fitting. Vlad rubbed the dust off of the dull brownish gemstone and tightened his grip on it, allowing the rest of the energy to flow from it to him.

He sighed with relief, smiling at the now pitch black stone as he slipped it inconspicuously back into his jumpsuit. Melania apparently didn't fail to notice, seeing as her bright red eyes widened with a twinge of fear. But, that fear quickly morphed into fury.

"How dare you, you... you inferior...?" the ghost girl hissed before lunging towards him.

When did that half-_human _freak get his hands on it? She didn't recall any moments where he had gotten close enough to it to snatch it, not to mention without her noticing!

Vlad flew upwards to avoid the ghost's attack with ease thanks to his newfound energy. Melania stopped as soon as she passed through the point that Vlad had previously been and turned to face him. However, it was still too late as Plasmius shot a really powerful blast that hit her straight to the stomach, knocking her backwards a hundred yards or so into the base of the water-tower. She, who hadn't been expecting something like this to happen, didn't have the time to phase or even brace herself as she careened into the structure.

Several rivets popped out from the metal plating due to the potent force of the ghost girl's impact, allowing her inside the water-tower. The metal limbs holding up the supply of water bent and then snapped under the pressure that was pushing against the structure, causing the water-tower to topple over and crash on top of the grocery store that stood next to it and roll off of the roof and crash to the ground, knocking down several more power lines in the process. Water began to pour quickly from the gouges that were in the base, flooding the street.

Plasmius flew downwards towards ground level, yet kept from landing. After all, there were live wires lying on the pavement, and the half-inch of water surrounding them wouldn't help when it came to conducting the electricity. Sparks flew from the wires and flickered dangerously as it conducted all throughout the street when the water touched it.

Melania groaned and heaved herself out of the hole she had crashed through, rubbing her head sorely. She clambered out of the hole and splashed to the ground, almost instantly regretting it. Electricity flowed from the wires to the water to her feet and all the way up her body, causing her to scream out in pain once again. The ghost's legs seemingly turned to jelly for a second as she slipped and landed into the water. Vlad watched amused for a moment as she composed herself enough to fly back up into the air, really flustered as she straightened the folds of her now wet and singed gown. Nearly a fourth of her sopping wet hair had come out of her ponytail and was messily plastered along the side of her face. Plasmius chuckled as he saw what a mess she was when her ego was bruised. It was quite amusing, really.

"Oh, I'm sorry... that must've been really embarrassing, wasn't it?" Vlad asked mockingly.

The ghost scowled and flushed angrily at the question. "You're. Dead." she uttered jerkily before swooping towards the man again.

Danny appeared in front of the man suddenly, "I'm back," he said, pointing out the obvious. "What've I missed?"

"_Incoming_, Daniel..." Vlad warned irritatedly through clenched teeth, gesturing behind the ghost boy towards the charging ghost. Danny turned to see what the elder halfa was indicating, but flinched when Vlad conjured up a shield in front of the both of them. Melania bumped into it, seething as she kicked ruthlessly at the shield, causing Vlad to sway from the force.

"Ah; I see. So that's what I missed. You ticked her off even more, I presume?" Danny asked conversationally.

"Mm hm-_mm!_" Vlad sharpened his breath as the ghost continued her barrage of attacks against the ectoplasmic shield. _Although, it's probably not for the reason you think…_

"Great, and she looks like a total mess already." Danny commented as he noted the singe marks in her dress, smiling with a mixture of nervousness and smugness. Her eyes were shining even brighter than before, even in spite of the now rising sun. Wow, was that actually right? The sun was already beginning to rise! The sky was a dull blue instead of its previous black; only the tiniest sliver of sun was peaking over the horizon.

Melania backed away long enough to turn intangible for a split second, effectively letting the water that covered her slip off. Then, solidifying once again, she continued the onslaught.

Danny recoiled as the pink shield flickered for a brief moment from a powerful blast the ghost had shot. "The girl doesn't give up easily, does she?" Vlad muttered to Danny.

"You've gotta hand it to her that she's persistent," Danny replied in agreement, while said ghost seemed oblivious to the conversation that the two halfas were having; she struck over and over again, all the while yelling insults at the two of them. "But I'm afraid that the show's going to end soon." He and Vlad nodded in understanding. Now or never, right?

The elder halfa lowered his arms and let the shield disappear. Danny didn't hesitate to lash out, kicking the ghost girl backwards several feet. Melania shook her head a little, somewhat recovering from her rage enough to get back to her senses; she started to fly towards them again. Vlad grabbed the younger halfa by the hands and swung him around in a three-sixty degree turn. The younger hybrid stuck out his foot as he neared the target and successfully connected with Melania's side, this time knocking her down all the way to the ground in the ball park. Fortunately for Danny and Vlad, she ended up landing right smack in the middle of the baseball diamond, near the pitcher's mound.

The two hybrids couldn't help but cringe as the automated guns that were mounted to each of the tall lampposts immediately began to assault the spectral entity that just hurtled into the vicinity. For several moments all of the blasts kicked up a thick cloud of dirt, hiding Melania from view.

Danny straightened up and spoke loudly to be heard over the blasts with a slightly indignant tone to Vlad, "You know, you should've warned me if you had decided you were going to use me as a baseball bat on her!" His eyebrows creased as he frowned faintly and put a hand up to his chin thoughtfully, all the while watching the scene below him.

Plasmius waved off the comment, "Oh, come now, Daniel; you always take things so sensitively! I saw the opportunity so I took it. I trust you're not disappointed with the results, hmm?"

"No, no, not at all…" Danny commented as if the two were discussing the weather. "In fact, I think you literally hit a home run with that one. But… do you think she's had enough yet?" He started forward slowly to intervene, hands wandering down to the Fenton Thermos at his waist; but Vlad placed a hand in front of him, stopping him from acting.

"Mm… Not just yet, little badger. I think a lesson still needs to be learned here!" _Nobody makes a fool of Vlad Masters, after all._

Several dark blasts of energy came up from the cloud of dirt, aimed wildly at any of the guns that were rapidly shooting down at the pitcher's mound (which was now surely reduced to a crater by this time). The fourth or so shot actually managed to knock off one of the weapons. However, Melania's aim was apparently getting more and more sloppy as she was being struck so many times. The blasts shifted across the field as the girl tried to move around. She'd remained fairly silent though—not counting the occasional cry of pain and/or surprise—in regards with this unexpected trap. That is, until now! The Fenton Ghost Grappler, which was tied up to the tree had apparently gotten her, disabling her powers so she couldn't even shoot wildly in the dark anymore. A desperate and heart-breaking wail could be heard from the cloud of dirt and rubble.

Danny decided that he'd had enough. Evil or not, he wasn't just going to sit back and watch this ghost be destroyed by all of the pressure. All he needed was for her to be weakened enough to be captured; and, well, something told him she was probably already at this state. He forced his way past Vlad and hovered overhead for a moment, starting to take out the ecto-guns one by one.

The weapons finally seemed to sense his ectosignature and some tilted upwards and began shooting at him, but he evaded and continued knocking all of the weapons out of commission until they were all taken care of. However, before the last one was taken out, it once again shot at the subdued ghost and nailed her in the torso, blasting her backwards into the chain-link fence of the backstop. One of the poles bent and snapped, bringing part of the fence thudding to the ground along with the tied-up ghost girl.

The halfa grimaced as he surveyed what was below him once the dust settled; well, the weapons certainly did a number on the field! A huge crater had replaced the grass that had lied within the diamond. That'd have to be fixed—well, he'd just let _Vlad _deal with that. As well as all the other repairs that Amity Park would need once everything was over and done with!

His attention went to the ghost girl, who was lying face-up near home plate, head leaning back against the fence, red eyes wide open as she panted heavily. She was forced into a fetal position due to the fact that she was contained within the glowing green net that was still connected to the Fenton Ghost Grappler. The net had snagged on some of the links on the backstop, which was also partially sagging over her because of the broken pole. She was all tangled up in the mess and exhausted. There were many rips and tears in her black dress, which was also stained with green ectoplasm to the point Danny was sure it was almost more green than black.

She groaned miserably as she dabbed at her bleeding lower lip with the tip of her index finger. "...You... planned this, didn't you?" she asked, still drawing in air like a fish out of water.

"Well, it turns out you two hybrids actually _do _make a good team... What do you know?"

"Yeah, we—!" Danny began enthusiastically, grinning, but then the actual words that the ghost had spoken seemed to sink in. His smile faded into a confused expression as Melania gave him a peculiar look. "I mean... yeah... I guess we—do..."

Danny flushed, embarrassed as he pulled out the Fenton Thermos. "You'll regret doing that." Melania uttered forebodingly.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say!" Danny scoffed, lifting up his other hand to uncap the Thermos.

"No, Danny Phantom... this time I'm not thinking about _me... _This time it's about you." Melania darkly replied in a whisper.

When Danny gave her a puzzled look, Melania looked up at the sky to check for something, then began to elaborate in a quick hiss, "He has it. He stole it from me..." Danny's eyes widened when he understood what 'it' was. "And if you continue with trapping me in that soup container of yours and _everything_ returns back to normal..." she smiled cruelly as Danny gulped nervously at what she was indicating. "After all is said and done, he will stab you in the back after all that time working together and _use _the Gem on you... He'll completely brainwash you when you least expect it. But, that needn't happen if you release me. Then, together we could take Vlad Plasmius down before he has the chance to take the advantage! This time _I_ have your best interest at heart, because while I may not see eye to eye with you, I believe that no one deserves to have their free will taken away from them—don't you agree, Danny?"

"Why that jerk!" Danny hissed, looking up but seeing no sign of the man.

"I know..." Melania clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "But things don't have to end that way. Help me; that's all I ask of you, and I'll help you in return."

Danny seemed to be struggling with his emotions in the meantime; his arm that was holding up the Fenton Thermos in front of him was shaking slightly, like it was battling with itself on whether it wanted to lower itself or not. It seemed that he was trying to get past the concept of what the other hybrid was most likely to do with the Gem once all of this was over. However, it was hard, especially when Vlad had the nerve to... to _appear right behind him!_

He heard Plasmius land light-footed on the charred grass and then turned around swiftly, punching him in the jaw. Plasmius staggered back, having not expected such a move. At least, not from the teen! The elder half ghost resentfully glared at him, opening his mouth to speak, "Look, Daniel, if this is about how I used you as a quote unquote 'baseball bat,' I—"

"I told him that you've stolen the Gale Gem from me!" Melania called up in a now surprisingly strong voice from the glowing green net.

Vlad lost his composure for a split second before he straightened up, which Danny didn't fail to notice. He glared angrily at the older half ghost. Plasmius took on an angry expression and cried out indignantly, "That's not true, Daniel! Don't believe her! Who are you going to believe here?"

Melania looked back to Danny, "Yes, _Daniel," _she sneered mockingly as she spat the name. "Who _are _you going to believe? The man who's only ever manipulated you?" She scathingly asked.

The ghost boy looked between the two, confused and angry at the same time. "Yes, I—I mean... No? Argh! Look," he pointed to Melania with an accusing finger, "I don't know you! I don't trust you! You sure haven't done anything to make me trust you! And I won't be any time soon!"

Then he turned to Vlad, "But you know, she has a point! I may _know _you, but you've never given me _any _reason to trust you! All you've ever done is plot and scheme! Why should I trust you _now?_" Danny's right eye twitched, paranoid. Melania's claim sounded so believable; it just sounded like the kind of thing Vlad would do! But, he still had his doubts since the source wasn't exactly the perfect definition of honest and faithful to the word. Frankly, neither did Vlad. Who should he trust here?

"Because this is all a ploy! A ploy devised by that brat to distract _you _from doing what we were planning to do all along! Now, I'm not asking you to trust me—just to finish her off already!" Vlad hissed, pointing at the captured ghost girl.

Danny's eyes widened as he heard these words. The man was right! He needed to first take care of the ghost. After all, he could always just kick the fruit loop's butt later if what Melania had said turned out to be true. He turned back determinedly to the ghost girl, but was surprised to see that she was no longer trapped in the Ghost Grappler. She had phased out of the net and was standing on the ground straight and tall. In her hand was the pole that had broken off of the backstop. The broken edge was pointed towards Danny and Vlad, and though it looked pretty blunt, their guess was that it could easily skewer either them with enough force. There was a slightly manic look that glittered maliciously in Melania's eyes. She quickly shot an ecto-blast at Vlad, which knocked him down into the other side of the fence.

"I've had enough of this! I'm going to get rid of you once and for all and take back what you stole from me!" she shoved the edge of the pole forwards with all her might.

Danny didn't know what exactly went through his mind at this point. Maybe the realization that someone was in deep trouble was enough to make his mind go completely blank and give him a sudden adrenaline rush! But, he suddenly found himself standing in front of the man…. He felt a stab of pain in his right shoulder and something wet trickling down his arm. He choked on a cry of agony, exhaling shakily as he looked down and saw that instead of impaling Plasmius, the jagged end of the pole had stabbed him brutally in the shoulder as he began to move in front of him.

"You _always _get in the way, don't you?" Melania sighed heavily, withdrawing the end of the pole and casting it aside carelessly as she pinned him to the partially downed chain-link fence.

Danny gasped in pain as the ghost's pressure increased on his heavily bleeding shoulder. He raised up his left fist feebly in defense, squirming restlessly. He couldn't raise his right arm at all; the dull edge of the pole had sliced through the rotator tendon, rendering the arm nearly useless in regards to raising it any higher than his waist. While the pain in his shoulder was nearly overwhelming, the rest of the arm had gone numb. _Oh, that's wonderful... _Danny thought, disgruntled. _It must've gotten my nerves, too._

"Are you trying to win? Still?" Melania brushed another flyaway hair out of her face breathlessly. Yet, even though she was incredibly battle-worn, an amused and triumphant grin was plastered across her face at her apparent victory. "You might as well just give up. Then I might even end your suffering afterwards... Don't you want that?" she chuckled lightly before ending, "Now be a dear and lower that shield for me..."

Vlad was still lying dazed on the ground, shocked at what had just happened. Had Daniel just done what he thought he'd done? The boy was looking a little delirious from the pain and blood loss; there was no telling if he'd be okay or not, especially while being handled so roughly by that ghost. He needed help, and he needed it quick! The elder hybrid began trying to sit up with some difficulty, leaning on one of his elbows as he shifted his position inconspicuously. Luckily, Melania was so focused on Danny that she didn't notice.

The teen managed to growl, "Sorry, but I don't help crazy ghosts. Especially crazy ghosts that stab me in the frickin' _shoulder _with a _pole!_"

"It's not my fault that you got in the way; kind of like when your _uncle _got in the way two weeks ago. None of that was my fault!" Melania grinned complacently before flipping to a scowl. "Now, you obviously have an overgrown sense of 'heroic' ethics. They're going to get you in a lot of trouble someday... for the last time, give up."

_Phase three... _Danny thought wryly to himself before looking at her sadly, beginning, "It's not too late, you know."

"For what? To give up?" Melania asked scathingly.

"To change. Come on, Melania! You don't have to do this; you can still walk away from this," Danny reasoned with the ghost, who had a puzzled expression on her face. He took this as his chance to slip the small package in the back of her belt. "I know you're not all the way bad! You just feel hurt, and I understand that; we can work this out civilly, right? This doesn't have to end in violence! Well... what do you say?" The young halfa was suddenly hit by a cold sweat as nausea was swelling up in the pit of his stomach. Man, the pain in his shoulder was killing him so much that he was on the verge of throwing up! He forced aside the urge and held his hand out of view behind the girl's back, allowing green energy to slowly build up in his grasp. Well, this was the bottom line, and he was giving the ghost a way out. However, something told him that she wasn't likely to take it.

Vlad squinted in confusion as he tried to see what the boy had sneakily slipped onto Melania. His keen eyesight allowed him to read the words on the packet: NASTY SAUCE. He almost started to laugh out loud; oh, the irony! He knew where the boy was going with this. After all, he owned the Nasty Burger and knew facts about its workings. But, as he stifled his chuckle, his eyes quickly widened in worry. Danny hadn't told him exactly what the last part of the plan had been—he wanted to keep it a surprise... Wasn't it extremely... erm... flammable?

The man caught eye contact with the boy as Melania was silent for a minute. He shook his head; from being that close to the source in this form, there was _no _way that he would live! Yet, as Danny gave a resolute expression and intensified the green energy in his hand, Vlad widened his eyes even more in fright. He _was _delirious! The pain was interfering with the boy's common sense! It must've been! Well, if only _he _were the one with the Thermos, he'd be able to probably use it on the ghost before she could do anything about it. As for with Danny, he was probably in too bad of a condition to use it quickly enough on her. She'd be able to stop him before he could uncap the device, even being in the condition she was in. Vlad violently shoved himself up into a kneeling position, not breaking eye contact with the teen. Then, Danny gave him a pointed look, and Vlad disappeared, moving invisibly closer to the two.

The ghost girl narrowed her eyes slowly. "No." she slowly and flatly stated. "I like revenge. It makes me happy…" she smirked as she whispered the last statement.

"I figured just as much… But, you have to admit that it was worth it to distract you enough to trigger the last phase of the plan. Wouldn't you agree, _Smelly?_"

Melania gave him a baffled look, her eyes widening so fast from their previous narrowed state that it looked nothing short of comical. Danny felt a jerk around his waist as the invisible Vlad took hold and ripped him away from the ghost. As he flew backwards, Danny twisted around in the elder hybrid's grip and fired the final blow.

The resulting explosion shoved both Danny and Vlad backwards even faster than they had been going before. The dust subsided as two crashed to the ground, and Danny seemed to be too out of it to act, lying close-by to Vlad with his eyes shut tight in pain, grasping his arm. So, acting quickly, Vlad scrambled over to the boy and grabbed the Fenton Thermos from him, turning quickly to the unresponsive ghost who was now around twenty yards away from them, receiving the full blow of the explosion; Vlad uncapped the Thermos.

The nearly unconscious ghost made a feeble attempt to resist against the current that was dragging her in, but finally gave in as she was far too injured to keep fighting.

Vlad capped the ghost-capturing device, breathing heavily as he changed back to Masters. "And that'll teach you to mess with us..." he whispered triumphantly. However, his gloating smile faded to an exhausted and worried frown as he leaned over with his hands on his knees. He heard a moan from behind him.

"_Daniel!_" Vlad's attention snapped back to the boy, who had reverted back to his human form as well looked like he was about to hurl. "Are you alright?" He rushed back to Danny's side, pulling him up into a sitting position. Danny was coughing severely from having the wind knocked out of him.

"Mm... brilliant," Danny grimaced, cringing as the billionaire accidentally bumped his shoulder. "Just don't touch the shoulder unless you want me to throw up all over your fancy shoes..."

"Why the blazes did you _do _that back there? You could've gotten yourself killed! I had everything under control—" Vlad began scolding him, ignoring the prior statement.

Danny turned his pale green face back up at him, wobbling as Vlad brought him back to his feet. It took all his concentration not to succumb to the urge to heave, since the pain in his shoulder was starting to intensify so much that it became hard not to. "Sure you did; I just didn't want to see the unpleasant image of you being shish-kebab-ed! By the way... you soooo owe for that. Well, the sauce was my last option—and _don't_ give me that look, it got the job done! And how am I going to explain _this _to my parents?" He pointed angrily at his bloody shoulder.

"How am I going to explain all of _this_ to everyone is more like it," Vlad muttered, gesturing around them at the crater where the park used to be. He sighed before lifting up the Fenton Thermos and handing it to Danny. "Here's the ghost."

The teenager accepted it with his non-injured arm, sighing. Well, he wasn't about to just do what he normally did with ghosts that he captured and release her back into the Ghost Zone. Perhaps he could trust Clockwork to watch over this one as well as...? He'd think about it later, when the stupid pain in his shoulder was taken care of.

"Thanks," Danny replied simply, sighing and leaning onto the man for support at this point. He was so tired and achy that it was all he could do to keep from sinking back to the ground again. He closed his eyes, his exhaustion showing on his features fully as the nausea began to swell up even more in the pit of his stomach.

Vlad raised an eyebrow in surprise for a moment, but smiled wryly before saying, "Come, Little Badger... I think it's time that we get that shoulder of yours taken care of, hmm?" He placed an arm around the boy, careful not to touch said injured shoulder.

Danny, however, stayed silent as his face turned an even deeper shade of green when they began walking slowly away from the park. They had hardly taken two steps when he halted suddenly, "I think I'm gonna be sick..." And, without any further ado, the teen doubled over in front of the man.

The billionaire sighed, turning his gaze upwards from the sight of the sickened teenager, "Ginger snaps..."

* * *

><p>Several days had passed and the town of Amity Park was in the works of repairing itself. It wasn't really far on the road to recovery just yet, and already the stress of fixing what that ghost had wrought was taking its toll on Vlad Masters. Melania Dark may have been defeated in the end, but she had definitely left her mark on the city. First of all he had to deal with the cracked asphalt caused by her blasted earthquakes (and they had only recently been repaved before this incident!), and also with the power lines that were knocked down, the toppled water-tower, the damage on all the buildings caused by the earthquakes and tornado, and also the trees that were uprooted by the tornado... Not to mention the press coming with all their prying <em>questions<em> and demanding _answers..._ However, none of that was currently on his mind.

What should he do?

That was the choice that was nagging at Vlad. What should he do? Should he just follow through with his original plan and use the Gale Gem for the purpose of getting himself his own son? Or should he try once _again _to persuade him? If Daniel knew what he was about to do, he was certain that he wouldn't approve. That was a huge understatement. Heavens, he'd be _furious!_

But with all due respect, the teenager had run out of second chances! He had his chance to join him willingly; he had _more _than his fair share of second chances, and he had rejected every single one of them! Whatever Daniel would say, Vlad knew what was best for him and where he belonged—and that was by his side! Perhaps it _was _best to force him!

But, perhaps it wasn't fair to take the boy's free will from him this way. The man lowered his gaze sadly to his feet. Daniel risked his own blasted life! For _his! _And even though Vlad wanted this more than anything, he knew it wasn't right to do something like that to him. _Especially _when the younger hybrid had just saved his life. If the boy did join him, he did want it to be of his own choice. Besides, the past few weeks with Daniel—even with the constant stream of witty banter exchanged between them—had not been counterproductive.

He remembered how great of a team they had made in that last battle between them and the Ghost King's daughter. Tucker Foley and Samantha Manson hadn't been there—it was just him and his little badger, taking on that ghost. Ever since that evening, the younger hybrid had been acting much less... how would he say it?... aggressive? Vlad didn't really know how to express it in words, but in either case, there was a much more pleasant attitude about him. No scowls, no glares, not… anything of the sort. Things could have been looking up between them, and with time Vlad was sure their relationship would grow to something much more ideal than enemies. Perhaps the boy would finally see him as a friend, a mentor, or... dare he think it... father?

_Calm down, Masters... let's not get too far ahead; after all, his pride won't let him see you as his father any time soon, most likely. But—it is only a matter of time..._ Vlad's hand wandered down inside his suit pocket and felt the walnut-sized crystal, stroking the facets of the stone lightly with his thumb. He would... think about it. If anything, the Gem would still be useful in other ways if it weren't needed for that purpose.

He came out of his thoughts as he came to a stop outside of the room that he was heading for. He smiled guiltily as he poked his head into the room, blinking at the unexpected brightness of the morning sunlight pouring in from the window at the opposite end of the room.

There were three teenagers already inside the room, one of which was lying on one of the beds while the other two were sitting on the edges, talking. However, once Vlad entered they abruptly stopped. The man raised an eyebrow as he opened his mouth but paused.

While Danny had a look of indifference at his appearance, the Goth girl who was sitting next to him on the edge of the bed frowned with a twinge of annoyance. She was sitting stiffly, bandaged from all the burn wounds (which were all fortunately only of the first degree) she had received to her arms and neck. Tucker, who was lying on the bed with his leg propped up in a cast, didn't really seem to notice, so great was his nervousness at being in a hospital. He was staring ahead blankly, whimpering slightly.

"Daniel? Wonder if I might have a word?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Danny looked from Tucker to Sam, who rolled her eyes. "Er... I'll be back. Stay with Tucker, he'll try to escape if he's left alone!" he said, giving an amused glance back to his invalid techno-geek friend.

"Your mother told me that you'd most likely be here. I take it that your shoulder is recovering well?" Vlad asked conversationally as Danny walked with him down the hall.

Danny chuckled as he looked down at his arm, which was heavily bandaged and put into a sling. "Yeah. It doesn't hurt too much anymore. The doctor was kind of surprised by how fast it's healing when he saw how deep it was. He said that wounds like that take more than a month to heal, but now he says that it'll probably take less than that."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Vlad smiled.

As they continued walking, a silence came between the two as they fell into their own thoughts for several minutes. Finally, once they had exited the building and were walking outside the building, Danny stopped at the corner of the building, where no one else was nearby. "Well, I just... wanted to thank you. Er, because I don't think I would've been strong enough to finish her off. So, um, thank you for... helping."

Vlad paused in surprise, but then nodded and smiled. "You're welcome,"

Danny leaned against the building and folded the one arm that he could and cleared his throat, as if expecting something.

Vlad gave him a questioning look, which Danny responded to with a sly question, "Okay, what was the reason you dragged me out here for?"

"Ah," Vlad said, shifting his gaze over to the surrounding trees and the scenery. "Well, I suppose I... wanted to thank you as well. Well... for saving my life. It was very noble."

Danny smiled and opened his mouth to say "You're welcome" but was cut off as Vlad unexpectedly started talking again in the "_but on the other hand_" tone. "But..."

"Oh, boy. Here he goes again!" Danny muttered irritatedly in the pause before Vlad continued.

"_Very _foolish. Does caring for yourself not register in that head of yours? You're so focused on helping others that you never stop and think about yourself! Did it occur to you that getting run through by the end of a pole would _not_ benefit you?"

"Duh!" Danny loudly exclaimed. "Can't you just be grateful?"

"I am grateful. For your impetuosity!" Vlad replied smoothly.

"I don't expect you to understand why I do what I do! But, I'm not just going to sit here and let you criticize me!" Danny said coolly, frowning.

The man sighed, "I'm sorry, Daniel."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Whatever... well, I guess I'll see you _next _time you start scheming again..." he said mockingly, turning back towards the hospital's entrance to get back to Sam and Tucker.

"I guess so..." Vlad smirked.

While Danny didn't see the smirk with his back turned, he heard the mischievous tone quite well. He straightened up and whipped around, giving the man a look of mistrust before turning back again.

* * *

><p>Vlad exhaled vehemently, leaning his head back against the seat in the limo. Were things going to go back to normal? He supposed so. That boy still seemed to be just as stubborn as ever now. Well, at least he still had a certain trinket to rely on... The man slipped his hand into his pocket once again to pull out the Gale Gem again. But, his fingers felt nothing.<p>

Nothing.

The billionaire's eyes widened slightly. Perhaps he put it in his _other _pocket? He stuffed his hand into the other pocket, but withdrew it empty-handed once again. He breathed heavily for a moment; he didn't have holes in those pockets! So then how—?

"Fudge buckets..." Vlad muttered under his breath... Ah. His eyes narrowed in anger as his face slowly flushed to a blotchy red. That little... He may not have been planning on definitely using it any time soon, but _no _one—stole from Vlad Masters!

"DANIEL!" he roared before clambering out of the limo and marching angrily back after the boy.

* * *

><p>Danny was beginning to slowly walk back towards the hospital doors. He sighed, letting his head fall back as he soaked in the morning sun. The teen was trying his best to ignore the pain that his still blistered feet were giving him. Once he got home, he'd get some more well-deserved rest! That is, assuming that Lancer wouldn't attack him with all the schoolwork he had missed in those two weeks. Something told him that just because the school was in disrepair from a savage ghost attack didn't mean that he'd get a break.<p>

And, well, he hoped that he'd be able to at least catch some rest before _Vlad _realized anything was amiss... Something also told him that he'd be quite ticked once he noticed that the Gem had 'mysteriously' disappeared from his jacket pocket. He could only imagine that having to deal with the cost of repairing the town would already have put him in a foul mood.

_Oh well. It'll be worth seeing his face once he realizes that I've thwarted his plans... again._ Danny smirked at this thought, tossing the small crystal up and down in his usable hand as he walked. _And, seeing as it would be safest,_ _I'd better get rid of this... _Then, once Vlad came back for it, he wouldn't be able to snatch it from him again.

He caught it again and looked around; after concluding that no one was around, he summoned some green energy to the palm of his hand. The crystal seemed resistant at first to the energy, but then slowly began to heat up as the energy intensified. Then, Danny clenched his hand into a fist and increased the pressure on it. The crystal crackled in his tight grip, and then he stooped down and slammed it onto the cement; it shattered instantly into miniscule pieces.

Danny stood back up slowly, smiling satisfied.

There was the sudden sound of the slamming of a car door. Danny flinched at the sound, but relaxed again; it was most likely not who he thought it was!

"DANIEL!"

Danny looked up suddenly, his face paling as he swallowed nervously. _You just had to say it, didn't you, Fenton! _He knew it would come sooner or later, but he was sort of hoping that it would at least be later than now! The younger hybrid brushed the rest of the dull reddish-brown grit from his hand on his pant leg and morphed, taking off to the sky. He'd have to just explain what happened to Sam and Tucker later, he guessed...

"YOU COME BACK HERE **RIGHT NOW **YOU LITTLE RAT!" Plasmius's voice called from below.

Danny paused to give a glance back to see what the man was doing, only to have to quickly duck to avoid a blast of pink energy.

The ghost boy grinned mischievously as he turned his back on his archenemy and bolted off, not even checking to see if the elder hybrid was coming after him. Yep, things were definitely starting to go back to normal...

* * *

><p><strong>*blushes* I know that moment after they beat Melania was totally spoiled by Danny's stomach, but... you know how things work. It was Fred's idea.<strong>

George: Actually, it was mine *sniggers*

**Heehee, I know Vlad wasn't being very watchful at the end! He _knew _that Danny knew that he had it, but he still let his guard down, lol! Well, I find that that's typical for the cheesehead whenever his emotions get the better of him. See Maternal Instincts. XD Enough said! **

**Okay, so now that this is done, I have important news. I guess I'm glad that I got done with this when I did, because I'm going on an out-of-state tour with the symphony I'm a part of and won't be able to get my hands on a computer for a while. So, it might be a while before you hear anything from me again. Well, I might just upload a one-shot or two (since I'm not going to start any multi-chapter stories until I get back) before I actually go, which is the last week of this month, but it depends! I've already got several ideas for both one-shots and multi-chapters, and if any of you are interested, go to my profile page and there are summaries for a couple of them. Now I'm not going to be doing them in any particular order, but it'll be any one of those that are listed there. Okay? Okay. **

**Well, I just wanted to thank all of the reviewers and their comments—lovely as usual! Thanks for helping get me out of my shell, peoples! Your support really means a lot to me! I'm not nearly so private about my writing anymore! And... and... *eye twitches***

George: Uh-oh... she's getting a little teary-eyed, Fred.

Fred: *shudders* Neeeeeeeeh, we can't have that... Come on, Gem, time to go!

*drags Gemini offstage*

**See ya! Please let me know what you thiiiiiink!**


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